Hero of the Ocarina
by TwiliRupee
Summary: OOT. What if Link lost that final battle, Ganon came out on top, and Zelda escaped and found a new Hero?  The answer: a Hero who plays the Ocarina to finish what his predecessor couldn't. The sequel is now posted.
1. Prologue

_Author's note: So this is a twist on the ending of **Ocarina of Time.** I hope you enjoy it. It's gonna be a rather short story, but it'll have several chapters. This prologue is a bit sad though, just to warn you. Please, tell me what you think!_

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>  
>Zelda didn't know what was worse: the fact that her best friend was battered, bruised, and bleeding, or that Ganon was charging at him in all his gross pig glory. Link managed to duck beneath the monster, but he stumbled, falling to the ground. The Master Sword flew from his hands as he collapsed. His fairy, Navi, flew down to his face, attempting to yank him up.<p>

"Link!" Zelda screamed. And in that instant, time slowed. Zelda's light blue eyes met Link's dark and deep blue ones. He looked at her and into her, and for one moment, the two were one.

Then it all sped back up.

Ganon turned and raised his sword. Link struggled to his feet only to see the glowing blade come down in an arc toward him. The Hero dashed out of the way, but somehow the sword hit him.

He went flying into a pillar, crying out in pain as he hit the stone, then landed on the ground. Zelda screamed his name once more and saw Ganon changing shape. He returned to his Gerudo form, a deadly blade in his hand. The flames cutting Zelda off from the fight died down. The Princess took off, running toward Link, who was attempting to push himself up to his knees. He looked up, his eyes meeting Zelda's before Ganondorf thrust the deadly sword at Link, catching the Hero off guard.

Zelda stumbled at the sight of the blade jutting out grotesquely from the Hero's back. She screamed in horror as the villain ripped the sword free, his gaze turning to her. Zelda shot an orb of fire at him, using her powers. The man flew backwards from the impact, away from Link.

Then the Princess made it to Link. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled the Ocarina of Time from his belt bag. She played the first melody that came to mind, and in a swirl of green light, she, Link, and Navi disappeared from the top of the ruined tower.

Their travel stopped abruptly when they reached the sacred grove below the forest temple. Link lay in a heap on the hexagonal platform, blood pooling from his wound. "Zelda... you didn't have to..."

"I did because I care for you," the Princess replied. Tearing strips of cloth from the skirt of her dress, she made a makeshift bandage for the Hero's wound.

"Zelda." Link's voice was full of pain, and slightly teasing.

"Save your strength," Zelda told him forcefully. There was a blinding green light, and when Zelda looked again, she saw Saria, the Sage of Forest. The girl gasped and knelt down by Link's side.

"What...what happened?" the sage asked.

"Ganon." Zelda looked down at Link, and saw that he had closed his eyes. His breathing was shallow. "We have to help him." The two of them worked together until Link was bandaged up as best they could.

The young Hero woke to find that the only garments he had on were his pants and boots. He had tight bandages wrapped around him. Navi was floating over him. Zelda was watching him as he woke. He looked so...so weak. His face was pale, his eyes blank. He looked at her. "Zelda..."

"Save your strength. Saria went to get a red potion."

"Saria was here?"

"Yes." She looked up and gave a small sigh of relief. Saria was back. The child-sage knelt down next to her friend and helped him drink the healing potion.

But they all knew it wasn't enough.

Saria wanted to help. As soon Link had finished the potion, she stood. "I can go get more..."

"No. Saria, stay," Link said. The Sage of Forest nodded, hearing the desperate tone in the Hero's voice. After a few moments, Link spoke again. "The potion's not doing much," he said, his voice hoarse. Zelda took his hand, tears filling her eyes. Link looked at her. "Zelda, could you play the Ocarina for me? You, too, Saria."

Zelda nodded. "Which song?" the Princess asked as she and Saria readied their Ocarinas.

"Your lullaby."

Zelda nodded. She placed the Ocarina of Time to her lips. Using one hand, she began the simple melody. Her other hand grasped Link's. Saria joined in on her Ocarina, playing a charming harmony.

Zelda watched Link close his eyes, a peaceful smile on his face. Then his hand went limp, dropping from hers. She stopped playing. "Link!"

But it was too late. Her call was in vain.

The Hero of Time was gone.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

"Hey! Wake up!" Navi fluttered over the sleeping form of her friend.

"I don't wanna," came the muffled reply. "On days like today I should be allowed to stay in bed all day."

"But it's market day."

"I don't wanna."

"Why?"

Zelda lifted her head to look at the fairy. "I would think you, being a guardian fairy, would remember what today is."

Navi's glow faded a bit. "Of course I do. But he wouldn't want you to be depressed."

Zelda sighed and climbed out of her bed to get ready for the day. Navi watched her. The Princess of Hyrule had changed dramatically. She was quieter, and more reflective and serious than the fairy had remembered. She wore her Sheikah outfit daily, like she had for seven long years. She and Navi had taken up residence in a small town just north of Lake Hylia, called Dresdem. It was a quaint village, small and peaceful, and it had somehow survived despite Ganondorf's tyrannical reign that the still held even after so many years. No one was brave enough to face him, not after the villain made the Hero of Time "disappear."

But Zelda knew better. Link never disappeared. Three years ago, Zelda, with tear-filled eyes, carved the Hero's tombstone. Three years ago today.

As Zelda braided her hair, she mused on this. Hyrule was in deep danger. A Hero was needed now. He was needed to save Hyrule.

"We should visit him," Zelda said softly, her voice shaking with impending tears.

"We should," Navi replied. The fairy, for the umpteenth time, glanced toward the corner of the room, where the Master Sword sat, sheathed next to the Ocarina of Time. Zelda rarely ever had visitors, so there was no need to hide the relics.

Soon, Zelda was leaving her house headed for the market. It was a busy place, bustling with people who had lived there all their lives and people who had taken refuge there when Ganondorf came to power and started crushing resistance. Few of them she had known as a little girl, but she didn't dare tell them who she really was.

As Zelda wandered through the crowded market place, music caught her attention. It was well played, and sounded like it was played on an ocarina. She followed the tune and saw a dark haired boy, around seventeen years old, sitting at a stand with vegetables, flowers, and cheeses, where usually one of Zelda's few acquaintances sat. He was playing an ocarina, like the Princess of Hyrule suspected, and was surrounded by listeners. As he finished the song, he looked up, meeting Zelda with his startling green eyes. "Play another, Rinku!" one of the girls standing next to him said. "Please?"

"What do you want to hear?" the boy asked, rubbing the edge of his instrument with his thumb. The girl gave a suggestion. The boy nodded. "Last one, and then we should go back to our tasks."

He placed the ocarina to his lips and began playing.

Navi settled down on Zelda's shoulder. "Oh, his playing reminds me of Link's," the fairy said. "Such good memories."

Zelda nodded, enjoying the song. After a minute or so, the boy finished, and received praises from his listeners before they dispersed. Zelda walked up to the stand. "Your playing is amazing," she said.

"Thanks," the boy replied. Then he smiled, extending his hand. "I'm Rinku, by the way."

Zelda shook his hand. "Sheik, and this is Navi." The Princess motioned to the fairy still perched on her shoulder. "Doesn't Emiko usually run this stand?"

"Yeah. But she's not feeling well this morning so she sent her dutiful goat-herding son instead." Rinku gave a mock sigh of boredom, before grinning at Zelda's laugh. "So, Sheik, you've got an interesting name. I would think of it more as a guy's name."

"It normally is," Zelda replied. "But I'm trying to change that."

"So Sheik is not your real name?"

Zelda raised her eyebrows and pretended to be interested on the display. _Perhaps I'll buy some flowers for Link,_ she thought solemnly.

"So what is your real name?" Rinku asked.

"Perhaps I want to keep it a secret." She eyed a particularly beautiful bunch of flowers. "I've never seen these flowers before. What are they called?"

"Mother calls them Hero's Rose. She said when she first got the original seeds that she saw the Hero of Time himself." Rinku seemed rather pleased at this fact, then his expression changed to one of curiosity. "I wonder what happened to the Hero."

Zelda wasn't sure what made her reply truthfully, but she did. "He's...dead."

"Dead?" Zelda nodded. "How? When?"

"Three years ago, by Ganondorf's sword. I...I was good friends with him and Princess Zelda. I was there..." She trailed off.

Rinku stared at her with a soft expression. "That must have been hard," he said.

Zelda nodded. Then she looked at the flowers once more. "How much for a bunch of these flowers?"

"Normally, twenty rupees. But for you, ten."

Zelda pulled out the yellow gem as Rinku bundled a dozen of the roses, his brown bangs falling into his green eyes.

After the exchange, Zelda smiled. "It was nice to meet you, Rinku," she said.

"And you, Sheik," the boy said. "I'll see you around."

Zelda nodded and returned back to the small house she had lived in. She picked up the Ocarina of Time. "We should go now, otherwise it'll be to late."

"Sounds like a plan," Navi replied. The fairy watched Zelda play a short tune on the Ocarina. A glowing circle appeared on the floor around her. Then she started another tune: the Minuet of Forest and in a green flash of light, she and Navi were gone.

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><p>"Ah, Rinku, hard at work like a good boy!"<p>

Rinku turned and saw his mother approaching the stand. "I thought you were still at the house," he said.

"I'm feeling better." Emiko smiled and sat down next to her son.

"Mother, do you know someone called Sheik?"

Emiko thought for a moment. "Yes. She's lived here for about three years, but she stays very secluded from the rest of the town. Supposedly, she's the last of the Sheikah."

"So she really is a Sheikah? That's cool."

Emiko nodded. "Now run along. Your father needs help with the goats."

Rinku nodded and started off, playing his ocarina as he walked. His family was a bit odd. He was an only child, and he looked nothing like either of his parents. Though he could have inherited his looks from his grandparents, who he had never met.

And yet, he had a distinct memory, one that he couldn't explain. He switched tunes and played a melody that he thought brought about this memory the best. The memory was hard to bear: it was one of a house burning down, the orange flames harsh against the night sky. Screams and the feeling of loss filling his ears. It was like he was really there, but he kept playing, letting the magic of the song wash over him.

The memory continued to flash before his eyes. He saw himself, just a small boy no more than two, run toward the burning house, and then a woman grabbed him and held him back. His younger self cried out, fighting against the grip of the woman, tears streaming down his face. The woman turned to calm him, and for the first time, Rinku saw her face clearly. It was his mother, Emiko. A man walked up behind Emiko, and Rinku realized that it was his father, Otto. So why was his younger self fighting to go back to the flames?

Rinku dropped his ocarina, feeling unsteady on his feet. He stared at the instrument on the ground. He had never seen the memory like that before and it startled him. But why had it been so clear this time?

He recalled another memory, one of his mother the other day. She had told him that all Hylians have the ability to do magic, though the type of magic varied from person.

Perhaps his magic was that of music, and the song he played made memories to visions.

He shook his head, and, picking up his ocarina, continued up the path to his house. He started around the back of the building toward the goat pen where his dad would be but he stopped. He yanked of his left-hand gloved and stared at the triangle marking there.

_Three years ago today I got this marking that looks like the seal of the royal family. What does it mean?_

The marking glowed in response.

"Hey, Rinku!"

The boy looked up to see his father waving to him from the goat pen.

"Are you gonna help me or what?"

Rinku nodded and went over, deciding to just ignore the triangle. He pulled his glove back on and entered the pen.

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><p><em>Author's note: I'm glad so many people like this fic! Thanks to Beforethedawnbreaks for the review on the previous chapter. By the way, 'Rinku', for those of you who don't know, is 'Link' in Japanese. So what we have here is just another Link!<em>

_Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Another one should be coming soon...whenever I get it written. Please, tell me what you think! I'd love to hear your thoughts!_


	3. Chapter 2

_Author's note: So if you were wondering about my lack of activity on this story, it was because I was on vacation. But I got a lot written. I will be posting the finished chapters one day at a time (hopefully) until I catch up. I am currently working on chapter five, so you'll get plenty of chapters to read. Thanks to those who reviewed the previous chapter: **Beforethedawnbreaks** and **SailorZeldatheLightAlchemist**. In response to Beforethedawnbreaks' review: I can't reveal what's gonna happen between Rinku and Zelda but if you keep reading, you'll find out!_

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

"So... They've finally showed themselves."

The Dark Lord Ganondorf, usurper king of Hyrule, stared at his glowing hand. Through the magic of the Triforce, he could sense the Triforce of Courage, though it was faint, and the Triforce of Wisdom. The two pieces had been active for quite some time, but this was the first time he had felt them like this in three years, especially the Triforce of Courage. He had to find the bearers and snuff them out...but not before taking the Triforce for himself.

Ganondorf strode silently to a window in his grandly rebuilt palace, muttering a spell. He could sense both Triforce pieces and their locations now. Both were close together, in the same town or area.

"My lord?"

The female voice trembled with fear as Ganondorf turned to see one of the many Gerudo under his command. The Gerudo warrior's long red hair fell like a banner over her shoulder as she knelt before her king.

"What?" he snarled.

"Y-you sent for me..."

"Ah yes. You, Rana, and I shall go to a small southern town to finish something started ten years ago." He strode past the Gerudo woman. "We leave now."

"Yes, sir."

And so, a team of three horses departed from what was left of the Hyrule Castle Town for the place Ganondorf had identified as Dresdem.

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><p>The morning was beautiful. There were a few puffy clouds in the blue sky, and it was wonderfully warm. It had rained the night before, and the scent of dew and wet grass lingered in the air. Birds flitted through the sky, calling to one another. Flowers, in their own, slow pace, bloomed at the edges of the paths and in the grass, tossing their heads in the calm breeze of the early morning.<p>

It was into this morning that Zelda stepped. She wouldn't let such a morning pass by her unappreciated. She took a mug of tea and sat on her front step, sipping the steaming drink and admiring the day.

_Link would have enjoyed such a morning,_ she thought, looking down into her mug. She didn't even hear the sound of footsteps until the voice startled her out of her thoughts.

"Good morning, Sheik."

Zelda looked up, more than used to her alias by now. "Oh, hello, Rinku," she greeted, smiling, though her smile was a bit strained.

"Is everything alright?" the dark-haired boy asked, noticing her sadness.

"Why do you ask?" Zelda countered.

"Because you look like it. Like a heavy sadness fills your heart, and there's no more room for hope."

Zelda stared at him. "So you're a poetical goat-herding flower seller now?" she teased.

"With pride!" Rinku replied gallantly, grinning broadly.

Zelda laughed. Rinku sat down next to her. "So," he said, "do I ever get to know your real name?"

"Why do you want to know my real name?"

Rinku shrugged. "It's probably a lot prettier than Sheik."

Zelda stared at him before looking away. "Perhaps," she replied after a moment.

"I knew it."

Zelda rolled her eyes. Then she heard something. The sound of hoof beats and heavy armor rattling. She stood, looking toward the entrance of the village.

"Sheik? What is it?" Rinku asked. He stood as well, following her gaze. Three black horses were in the entrance of the town.

"It's _him,"_ Zelda replied.

"Him?" Rinku didn't see anything wrong with the three riders, but when he turned to Zelda, he found she had retreated into the shadows of her door, like a true Sheikah. He gave her a questioning look, but she silenced him.

"You, boy!"

The harsh, accented voice broke through the air. Rinku turned around to see the three riders. They were all Gerudo, and Rinku suddenly understood what Sheik had meant by _him._

Before him, riding a large black horse, was the Dark Lord Ganondorf himself. The large man jumped down from his horse, his armor rattling. "You seem like a smart lad," the evil king said, his dark eyes glaring. "Tell me, where does Princess Zelda reside in this village?"

"Princess Zelda? There's no Princess here."

"I should inform you, boy, that lying to me is very unwise."

"I'm not lying! Princess Zelda hasn't been seen in three years!"

Ganondorf's glare deepened. He grabbed the front of Rinku's shirt. "Do not underestimate me, boy, or-" The Dark Lord stopped as the Triforce of Power lit up on his hand. He let go, seeing the Triforce symbol on Rinku's hand light up as well. "So, I go looking for Wisdom and instead I find Courage. How convenient."

"What are you talking about?" Rinku took a step back.

"You don't know? That mark on your hand, boy, is the Triforce of Courage." Ganondorf reached for a dagger at his side and drew it. Rinku took another step back, but the dagger was knocked from Ganondorf's hand.

Sheik was standing only a few feet away, throwing daggers in her hands. A sword was strapped across her back. "Leave. Him. Alone."

"Ah, I was wondering when you'd show up to defend your new pet."

Sheik glared. "Link was never my 'pet.' He was my best friend and you killed him, you murderer!"

Rinku looked from Ganondorf to Sheik and back. Ganondorf drew his sword, aiming to fight the Sheikah. Rinku pulled his ocarina from his pocket, determined to protect his friend. _I need fire._ He began playing a tune that embodied this desire. Fire flared up between Ganondorf and Sheik. Both looked at the goat-herder with surprise. Sheik ran forward and shouted for Navi. The blue fairy sped out of the house, floating by the Sheikah as Ganondorf broke through the barrier.

Rinku, weakened, fell to his knees, but Sheik pulled him up. She reached for the Ocarina of Time.

"You cannot escape me, Zelda!" Ganondorf roared angrily as he charged. Zelda pulled Rinku out of the way, raising a dagger to protect herself and Rinku.

"I have and I will!" Zelda shouted back. She sheathed her dagger, and played a warping song on the Ocarina of Time. The town of Dresdem vanished in a whirl of green sparkles.

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><p>Zelda looked at the sleeping form of Rinku and sighed. "Why is it, Navi, that I always bring them here?" She looked around the silent grove, avoiding casting her gaze over a part of the grove.<p>

"Perhaps you feel it's the safest place from Ganondorf," the fairy suggested.

"Perhaps." She looked back at Rinku and saw the boy was stirring. He opened his eyes and sat up.

"Where are we?" he asked, looking around.

"The Lost Woods in the Kokiri Forest."

"Kokiri Forest? But that's so far from Dresdem. How'd we get here that fast?"

Zelda held up the Ocarina of Time. "A warp song, taught to the Hero of Time by yours truly." She gestured around the grove. "This is where the Forest Temple is, guarded by the Sage of Forest, who should be appearing very soon, if she's in there."

Rinku nodded. Here he was, thrown into the stories of the Hero of Time. He stood, admiring his surroundings. "Ganondorf...he called you Zelda."

"He did. He knows who I am."

"So then..."

"I am Princess Zelda."

Then Rinku did the unexpected. He grinned. "I knew it."

"Knew what?"

"Your real name's prettier than Sheik."

Zelda looked down at her hands. "You still should call me Sheik, though, just to be safe."

Rinku nodded as he sat down next to her. Zelda reached for his Triforce-marked hand. "Do you know what this symbol means?" she asked as the Triforce symbols on both their hands began glowing.

"It's part of your family's seal?" Rinku guessed.

"Yes, but there's more to it." She let his hand go and stared across the clearing. "That is the symbol of the Triforce, which is made up of a fraction of the three goddess' power. There's Wisdom – mine – which gives the bearer ability to use magic more than any other normal Hylian, as well as enhanced wisdom.

"Then there's Power, which Ganondorf has. Power enhances any physical ability the bearer has. Ganondorf was a powerful mage before he obtained his third of the Triforce, so his magical abilities have also been increased dramatically."

"And mine?" Rinku asked.

"Yours is the Triforce of Courage. It gives the bearer the will and the strength to carry on in the most dangerous times, and that includes stamina. Every person who's been the bearer of Courage has been a Hero, and many of them have wielded this sword." Zelda motioned to the Master Sword still strapped on her back. "The last one to wield both was Link." For the first time since arriving in the clearing, she glanced over at the gravestone that marked the last resting place for the Hero of Time. The flowers that Zelda had bought the previous day laid against the stone. Rinku stood and slowly walked over to the grave, reading the inscription carved into the gray stone.

"_Link, brave Hero and brotherly friend, you will surely be missed."_

He turned. "So, I'm Hyrule's only hope now?" he asked Zelda.

"Yes." The Princess unbuckled the Master Sword, and, only touching the sheath, held it out to Rinku. The dark-haired boy walked toward her and reached a hand out. He gripped the handle of the sword and unsheathed it. It glimmered in the dim light of the forest, glowing brightly.

"It is done," Zelda said. "The sword has accepted you as it's master, Hero Rinku." She handed him the sheath, and he buckled it on before sheathing the sword. Zelda caught her breath. Rinku looked so similar at that moment to Link. She could sense the true spirit of a Hero in him, something similar to what she felt when with Link.

"So what do we do first?" Rinku asked.

"We need to outfit you properly. You won't last very long without chain mail and other protective gear. The Kokiri will help us with that."

Rinku nodded. In one day, his whole life changed. He was no longer a goat herder from a remote village, he was a Hero.

And as a Hero, he would do his best to save Hyrule.

As Navi guided the two of them out of the grove, Rinku looked back at the grave of his predecessor. _I will avenge you. I swear it._


	4. Chapter 3

_Author's note: Again, I am so glad people like this story. It makes me feel good about my writing when I read a comment that praises my fanfics. So thanks to those who took the time and reviewed: **Viper Fangblade **and** SailorZeldaTheLightAlchemist. **Enjoy this chapter and thanks for reading._

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><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

"Wow." That was all Zelda, still in her Sheik disguise, could say when she saw Rinku step out of the Kokiri house in his new garb. He wore knee-high boots, a green tunic, and brown pants. On his arms were brown bracers, and his hands were covered by gloves. He wore chain mail under his tunic, and, when he donned the Master Sword across his back, he truly looked like a Hero.

The other Kokiri standing next to Zelda, including the Forest Sage, began talking about how much the new Hero looked like the Hero of Time.

"Do I really look like him?" Rinku asked Zelda.

Zelda nodded in reply. "Very much so," she replied with a smile. "So, we need to meet with the other sages and figure out our battle plan."

"Where are we meeting?"

"Lon Lon Ranch."

Rinku nodded. He had heard of the famous ranch, though he had never been there. No, his whole life had been spent in Dresdem, fairly disconnected from the rest of the country.

"We should get going," Saria suggested. "It's a long journey on foot."

Zelda and Rinku nodded. After they said their goodbyes to the Kokiri, the three companions headed out to Hyrule Field. Saria led the way confidently, while Rinku and Zelda walked behind her, side by side. Rinku looked around at everything, excited to see the whole world. Zelda was also looking around, though not in admiration. She was tense, her hand gripping the long dagger at her side.

Saria stopped after a while of walking, looking sadly as a small bed of wildflowers that had grown there and had died. "Ganondorf's influence no doubt," she said, kneeling next to the dried brown plants. "After Link unfroze Zora's River, things started turning green again. But I see now that it was only temporary."

"That's awful," Rinku said.

"It is," Saria replied. She sighed and stood. "We should keep going. Staying out here too long might attract enemies." She started off again.

"Enemies? What kind of enemies?" Rinku asked, following her.

"Stalchildren, mostly. Link told me once they're really easy to beat," Saria said. "But recently, I've seen other monsters: wolfos, stalfos, even a moblin or two. And Moblins aren't ones to mess with."

Rinku sighed. "And how am I supposed to fight them? I've never held a sword in my life before today."

"Don't worry," Zelda said. "We'll help you out. Besides, you'll know what to do for sure." Rinku sighed again and dropped the subject, glancing around. He thought he saw something crouched behind the dried bushes that were clumped nearby, but he wasn't sure.

The sun was low in the cloudy sky when they neared the entrance to the ranch. Zelda stopped, looking out north. She sighed. "There's Castle Town, Rinku," she said. "Once it was a beautiful, lively place. People were happy with the way things were, from what I remember as a ten-year-old. But now, it's full of dead things. And the castle once shone in the sun on a clear day, but that's gone, too, replaced with Ganon's crappy fortress."

A howl went up in distance. Zelda tensed again, drawing her dagger halfway out of her sheath. "Wolfos," she muttered. Rinku put a hand on the Master Sword. Though he was unsure how to use a sword, he would try his best.

"We could run to the ranch," Saria suggested as they heard another howl, closer this time.

"Let's do that," Zelda agreed. "I'd rather not have to get into a fight."

But it was too late. A monster jumped out at Saria. Zelda attacked it, slicing at its legs. It howled in pain and scrambled backwards, only to let by more wolfos. The monsters circled them. Rinku drew his sword, ducking as one of the creatures took a leap at him. He swiped at it and managed to get it with the tip of his sword.

"Rinku, behind you!" Saria shouted. A large wolfos jumped at him. The monster never made it very far. It landed in a heap, one of Zelda's daggers embedded in its pelt.

There was a flash of gold light coming from the Triforce of Courage, and Rinku suddenly had an insight on how to use his sword. "Get down!" he told Saria and Zelda. They obeyed, and Rinku held the Master Sword up, releasing a spin attack at the surrounding wolfos. They scattered, and the three travelers took the opportunity to run, the uninjured wolfos chasing after them.

They just entered the ranch when the monsters were upon them. A yell split the air and a wall of fire went up behind the travelers. Saria looked up. "Darunia!" she exclaimed. Rinku looked up as well and saw a massive Goron.

"Those mongrels didn't hurt you, did they?" Darunia asked as Zelda, Rinku, and Saria got to their feet, sheathing their weapons.

"Almost," Zelda replied. "But they didn't, thanks to you."

Darunia thumped a gigantic fist against his chest. "You're welcome, Sister. Come, the others are already here."

"Others?" Rinku asked Zelda as they followed Saria and Darunia.

"The rest of the sages," the disguised Princess replied. As they walked further into ranch, Rinku heard the sound of a horse neighing frantically and pounding hoofbeats.

"Someone catch her!" a girl shouted as a horse careened toward them. Darunia waved his arms and the horse skid to a stop, rearing with another frantic neigh. A red-headed girl ran up and caught the horse's halter when it hit the ground. "Come on, Epona! Behave!"

The horse neighed again, pulling against the girl's grip. The girl held the mare steady, nodding a greeting toward Zelda. "Hey, Princess. Long time no see."

"It sure has been a long time, Malon," Zelda replied as Darunia and Saria, their jobs done for the moment, went further into the ranch. Zelda walked up to the horse. "Hey there, Epona," she said, reaching a hand out for the mare to sniff.

The horse pulled against Malon again, nearly getting free. Malon huffed. "You want to help me out, Hero-boy?" she asked, glancing at Rinku, who nodded. He grabbed Epona's halter, and the horse went nuts again.

"Epona's not very fond of strangers," Malon said as they led the horse to a small corral, singled off from the rest of the horses on the ranch and attached to a small barn. They released her into the corral, where she took off running, neighing and trying to find a way out.

"Is that why she ran off in the first place?" Rinku asked.

"No. She's been like this for almost a year and a half. She once belonged to Link, and he was able to get to her so that she obeyed his every command without a single fight. You should have seen them together: if there's any true connection between species, it was shown clearly through Link and Epona. I used to have a bond with her as well through singing, but I can't get to her anymore." Malon sighed. "She's put up a shell ever since she realized Link wasn't coming back, and she won't come out until she sees him again, which won't happen."

"What did you sing to her?"

"This." And Malon began to sing. The tune was like a lullaby, and Epona paused in her cantering, her ears pricked as she trembled. Then she let out a piercing neigh, one that held so much sadness in in, like she was calling out to her long-gone master. Malon stopped singing, sighing sadly. "Poor girl. You miss your master, don't you?" Epona snorted and took off again around the corral.

"She liked that song," Rinku said softly, reaching into his bag for his ocarina. He pulled it out and placed it to his lips. Malon saw what he was going to do and began singing again. Rinku joined in, willing the troubled horse to calm down. Epona stopped in her tracks, her eyes never leaving Rinku and his ocarina. She took several steps toward him. She nosed his arm, and he petted her gently, rubbing her forehead while still playing the melody with one hand.

"Are you some sort of horse-whisperer?" Malon asked softly as Rinku finished the song. Epona remained quiet, enjoying the rub Rinku was giving her.

"No. I've just got a way with music."

"That's amazing." The ranch girl reached out and stroked Epona's mane. "She hasn't been this calm in ages." She looked up at the sound of another person approaching. It was the ranch hand, a sour look on his face.

"I found your father, Miss Malon. He's asleep in the hay loft."

Malon sighed. "Thanks, Ingo. I'll go wake him up." She smiled at Rinku before walking away with Ingo. Rinku turned back to Epona and stroked her forehead again. The mare whinnied quietly and sadly.

"You miss him, don't you?" Rinku asked softly. "You're not the only one. Everyone I've talked to has missed him. I never knew him, but he's done so much for Hyrule and for everyone. You probably know that, being his horse and all." Epona snorted, shaking her head.

"Hey, Rinku! Come over here!" Navi called.

Rinku nodded and gave Epona a final pat and went over to where Zelda and Saria sat with Darunia, a Zora, and a Hylian. Saria was busy growing a flower in the center of the circle while talking with Darunia and the Zora. The Hylian seemed to be sleeping, while Zelda was talking with Navi. The Princess looked up and smiled at Rinku. "You're a man of many hidden talents," she said, referring to the fact that he had gotten Epona to calm down.

"I just played some music," Rinku replied, sitting next her.

Zelda shook her head. "You've got a magical talent there. Music and magic can be very powerful, and when combined with a piece of the Triforce, it can be one of the most powerful forms of magic."

"Basically," Navi added, "you're special." Rinku smiled at her comment.

After a few moments of silence watching Saria's flower bloom and grow taller than the Forest Sage herself, they were joined by the last two sages: a Sheikah, who Zelda greeted happily, and a Gerudo.

Rinku was formally introduced to the sages: Impa the Sheikah Sage of Shadow had once been Zelda's nursemaid and bodyguard when the Princess was young. Nabooru the Gerudo Sage of Spirit was the only Gerudo sane enough not to follow Ganondorf. Rauru, the Hylian and Sage of Light, preferred to stay in the Chamber of the Sages in the Sacred Realm, where once the Hero of Time had woken and was told of his destiny. Ruto the Zora Sage of Water, had known Link when he was a boy and had proclaimed her love for him. And Darunia, the Goron Sage of Fire, had also known Link when he was a boy, and had officially declared the young Hero a brother to the Gorons after he had helped them out of a tight spot.

Once the introductions were done, they all decided that Rinku would need to train so that he would be able to face Ganondorf with enough skill to beat him. The meeting was adjourned around midnight. As Rinku walked back towards the house and barn, Epona called out to him, straining against her fence. The young Hero walked over to her and she calmed down a bit, pawing the ground like she was begging him to play another song.

"Not now, Epona," he said. "Tomorrow, ok?"

The chestnut mare snorted and moved away from the gate, dropping her head to graze on the trampled grass.

Rinku walked away from the corral, but he turned to look back at the horse, feeling like he had made a friend in her.

* * *

><p>Three weeks passed, and Rinku quickly learned how to use both his sword and the bow Zelda had given him on his second day on the ranch. As the third week came to a close, Rinku decided to test his trust with Epona and try to ride her. He had been slowly gaining her trust by spending at least an hour after his training was done in her corral, usually playing his ocarina.<p>

As the sun sank low to the horizon, Rinku led Epona into the larger corral, now cleared of the horses that usually stayed there. Malon walked with him, eager to see how this would go. "Remember," the ranch girl reminded him, "if she flips out, get off right away. We don't need you with some broken bones."

"Got it," Rinku said. He stroked Epona. "Be a good girl, Epona."

The mare snorted but otherwise stayed still. Rinku mounted lightly into the worn saddle. Epona tensed, but didn't go crazy. Malon looked up at Rinku. "So far so good," she said, backing away from the horse and rider.

Rinku nodded and nudged Epona forward. The mare relaxed and willingly obeyed. After a few moments, Rinku picked up the pace, going straight into a canter. Epona dashed forward, her stride eating up the ground. The sages, who were watching from the side of the corral with Zelda, Navi, Ingo, and Talon, the ranch owner, all cheered on the Hero and his horse. It was almost too good to be true, to see a Hero riding his horse across the grass.

Then things went wrong. Epona, who had been enjoying herself, tensed up, halting suddenly and nearly throwing Rinku from the saddle. Rinku looked around, knowing the horse was afraid. Epona reared, catching her rider off guard. He fell to the ground, stunned, as Epona took off around the corral. Rinku heard the distinctive sound of an arrow being released from the bow string. He rolled out of the way just in time to avoid the fiery arrow, which embedded itself into the grass.

The Hero looked up and saw a strange green creature standing on top of the nearest barn's roof. It gave a low barking howl, waving its arm in the air, only to be cut off by Nabooru's arrow. But it was only the beginning. The gates to the ranch burst open and enemies filled the place.

* * *

><p><em>Author's note: Any guesses about what monsters the "green creatures" are? Hint: they're a real Zelda enemy. Whoever guesses correctly gets a free (virtual) cookie!<em>


	5. Chapter 4

_Author's note: So no one has yet to guess correctly what the mysterious monsters are. **SailorZeldatheLightAlchemist **was the only one to make a guess. Let's see if the description in this chapter helps at all. Hope you enjoy! Don't be afraid to take a guess or review!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

Zelda knew it was bound to happen. Ganondorf was trying to find them, and she knew he would eventually.

The day had finally arrived. Enemies of all kinds stormed the ranch. The warriors sprung into action. Rinku swung up onto Epona as she galloped past, drawing the Master Sword. "Come on, Epona," he told the horse as she reared again. "Let's show them whose boss." He steered the mare toward the gate, and Epona jumped over it and began trampling what enemies she could. Rinku swung at as many enemies as he could. The sages fought hard, using the elements they were in charge of as well as their skills as warriors if they possessed them.

Zelda fought hard, putting all her learned Sheikah skills to use. After six minutes of fighting, she missed blocking the sword of lizalfos. The creature's sword struck her side, not fatally, but serious enough. Impa shouted her name, trying to get by the enemies swarming around the Princess. Zelda fell to her knees, gasping in pain. She looked up and saw Epona race by, riderless. Rinku must have gotten knocked off. She glanced around for the Hero, and saw him fighting a herd of the green creatures who either had thick wooden clubs or bows with fire arrows.

Just as Impa was making her way to Zelda, the Princess was hoisted up onto the shoulder of a stalfos. "Let me go!" she shouted. "Rinku! Impa!"

Rinku turned at the sound of his name, but the green creatures attacked him even harder. Zelda lost sight of him as the stalfos dashed out of the ranch, bringing her along with it. Smoke rose up from the ranch.

Zelda continued to struggle. The stalfo set her down, holding her tightly. A cloth was pressed over her mouth and nose and everything went dark.

* * *

><p>Rinku saw the stalfos taking Zelda out of the ranch, but he couldn't follow. The green monsters were too many. Already, the Hero had at least five arrows that caught where ever his chain mail wasn't protecting him, along with an assortment of bruises and cuts, mostly from falling off Epona and from the green monsters' blows.<p>

He backed up against the wall of a barn, and a moblin that had been beat up by the sages' powers charged at him. Rinku ducked, and the moblin tore right into the barn. It used the edge of its spear to send him flying into the barn. The green creatures barked and howled, firing their fire arrows. Some hit Rinku, most missed, catching the wooden barn on fire.

Rinku stumbled, unable to stand with now seven arrow wounds. He looked up at the sound of groaning wood. The fire was causing the roof to collapse. He tried to make a run for it, but the burning wood fell.

His world went dark.

* * *

><p>It seemed so easy. The enemies left too quickly, but not before causing mayhem. Epona's barn and several other barns had caught fire. Malon, Talon, and Ingo were holding what animals they had rescued in the large corral. Ruto and Darunia were trying to put out the fires.<p>

Saria looked around. Something wasn't right about how the enemies just left as fast as they came. She saw Impa collapsed next to the main house. Saria ran over to her.

"Zelda's been captured," Impa said. "Rinku's missing."

"Missing?"

Impa nodded and slowly got to her feet, leaning against the wood of the house but trying to hide her pain at the same time. She and Saria looked around at the damage. One of the barns had collapsed, two others were burning. Darinua walked over to the buildings and with a wave of his massive hands, put the fires out with his sage powers. Only glowing coals remained.

"So the Princess has been captured," Nabooru said. "And what of our Hero?" No one answered, too afraid to speak what they were thinking. Nabooru turned at the sound of hoof beats. Epona trotted up to the collapsed barn, and began pawing at it, whinnying.

Darunia marched over to the wreckage and began searching it. He moved a few beams and uncovered the missing Hero.

"Is he alive?" Ruto asked, her voice filled with worry.

Darunia nodded, while Epona neighed frantically. "Aye," the big Goron said. "He is."

* * *

><p>Zelda came to her senses quickly, though her head felt heavy. She couldn't tell where she was. Her eyes wouldn't open from the remaining grogginess. But she could tell that her hands were tied, and her head was leaning against someone's broad shoulder while that person wrapped a bandage around her middle where her wound was. The person's hands were large and rough, and she realized just whose shoulder she was leaning on.<p>

She attempted to push herself away from him, but she was too weak.

"Now, now, Princess. Don't struggle."

The deep voice startled her into full awareness. She pushed harder against her captor, and managed to get herself out of his grasp, landing on a hard, cold stone floor. She opened her eyes and saw Ganondorf, a smirk on his face, before realizing that she barely had a decent shirt on. She grabbed a thin blanket that was lying nearby and covered herself up as best she could.

"Pervert!" she shouted.

"Excuse me, Princess, but I find it hard to bandage a wound when there is a shirt in the way."

"Get one of your cronies to do it, not you," the Princess spat. Ganondorf smirked. Zelda tried to ignore him, glancing around the room. The only light was from a torch mounted on the wall. She looked back at Ganondorf, who was still sitting there, staring at her with narrowed eyes. "Why would you want to bandage my wound?" Zelda asked, venom in her voice. "Aren't I your enemy, the one who stands between you and your goal?"

"True, but you will serve me better alive than dead." Ganondorf's smirk returned when Zelda moved backwards away from him, muttering insults. "Come. Let me finish with that bandage."

"No."

"Why not?"

"I don't trust you. I can do it myself."

Ganondorf laughed at this, deep and evil. "Ok, then. Do it yourself."

Zelda glared but proceeded to bandage herself with her tied hands. She didn't get very far when pain shot up her side. She gasped and felt the wound open up again.

Ganondorf smirked again. "Are you sure you don't need help?" he asked with amusement.

Zelda sighed, waiting until the pain died down. "Fine. But one wrong move and I will hurt you."

"You have my word. Not one wrong move." Ganondorf quickly finished bandaging the wound then moved back. Zelda avoided looking at him. The Gerudo stood, and went to the cell door. He stopped and glanced back at Zelda. "Perhaps, if you want, I can have one of my guards bring you some proper attire."

"Again: why are you being nice? I didn't think you could _be_ nice."

The Dark Lord smirked again. "I told you, you'll have much more more use to me alive than dead."

"Then tell me what use I have."

"Simple: if you die, your Triforce will be passed on to another, and I will have to search for them."

"Why not take it now?"

"Because we're waiting for your Hero friend, or whatever fool decides to come rescue you."

Zelda sighed. Ganondorf remained standing at the door, waiting for her to fight his statement. But she said something completely different and in a quiet voice. "Some proper clothes would be nice..."

The statement surprised the Dark Lord. But he nodded. "I'll look into it."

With that, Ganondorf turned and left the room, slamming the cell door shut with a bang. Zelda flinched at the loud noise. Her head grew heavy and she laid down, covering herself as best she could with the blanket. A tear fell from her eye onto the stone. She had deemed herself too old to cry unless the situation was for mourning only.

But now she felt sobs rising up. She didn't hold them down. She let them come as more and more tears streamed across her face.

"Rinku," she whispered. "Come get me!"

* * *

><p><em>He saw the flames spreading, fear in his eyes. He looked up at a woman, who's face he couldn't see well. They were trapped. The house was on fire and they were trapped, no where to go. "Mama," he cried softly, hugging her with his small arms. The smoke stung his eyes and lungs. It was hard to breathe.<em>

"_Be brave, Rinku," the woman said. She looked around and gasped. She led him over to a small window, close to the ground. For the first time, he got a look at her face. She was covered in soot from the fire, but her eyes shone clear: bright green, just like his._

"_Go, my son," she said, hoisting him up to the window that was higher up than he was tall. He struggled._

"_No, Mama, I don't wanna leave you!" he cried. Tears streamed down his soot covered face. The woman smiled softly at him. Another set of hands reached out and grabbed the boy, hoisting him to safety from the burning house. The woman recognized the person._

"_Take care of him, Emiko."_

"_No, Lydia! I'm not going to let you die!"_

_But it was too late. The house's structure failed. The roof collapsed, burning wood falling on top of Lydia._

_And the little boy, horror struck, cried out. Emiko grabbed him, preventing him from running back into the fire._

Rinku gasped, sitting up in bed. What a nightmare! For a moment, he was lost in the images of the dream. But he pushed them away.

He rubbed his shoulder, where his most serious wound was,gained right at the beginning of the fight two days ago. How he had managed to fight with such a wound was a mystery, but he was mending. He was frustrated: Zelda was captured and he could barely get out of bed. The smoke from the fire and the concussion he obtained from the falling roof had affected him worse than he thought, and every time he stood, the world spun.

So instead of looking for Zelda, here he was, sitting on a bed, bandaged and bruised, in what remained of Lon Lon Ranch.

The door to his room opened and Impa came in carrying a bowl of soup. "How are you feeling?" she asked, carefully handing him the bowl.

"Ok," Rinku replied. He ate some of the soup and instantly felt a bit better. "Did you figure out where he took Sheik?"

Impa shook her head. "We weren't able to follow the monsters. But my bet is that she's either in Ganon's Keep where the castle used to be, or in the Gerudo Fortess in the desert. He has control of both places."

Rinku nodded and looked down at the bowl in his hands. He quickly finished off his soup before asking, "What if I use the Triforce? Can't I use it to find where she is?"

"Yes. But not now. You are incredibly weak at this moment. You need to rest. Perhaps in a couple days you can try."

"We don't have a couple days, Impa. Sheik is in danger and we can't afford to lose her, especially since she is the last of the Royal Family!"

Impa narrowed her eyes. "Then tell me this, Hero: can you stand? Last time you were on your feet, you nearly fell flat on your face."

Rinku set his bowl aside and jumped to his feet, albeit unsteadily. Impa raised her eyebrows and after a moment, Rinku fell back onto the bed, his hands on his head and his eyes closed. "That's what I thought," the sage said.

"Yeah, yeah," Rinku muttered.

"I'm concerned for you, Rinku. You can't go sneaking around when every five seconds you fall flat on your face." Rinku sighed, looking out the window. "Don't get me wrong, Rinku. You've become a great fighter. But no one, not even Ganondorf, would be able to fight when they can't see straight. It's just not wise."

"I understand." He continued to look out the window, wishing his vision would stop swimming.

"Get some rest," the Shadow Sage told him. "Perhaps you'll feel better tomorrow."

Rinku nodded. Impa took the empty bowl and left the room, shutting the door behind her. The Hero sighed and laid back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Why was he feeling so depressed at the news that Sheik was captured? Yes, it was normal to feel sad when you find out your best friend is in the claws of your enemy, but this was stronger.

He wanted to get his friend back and out of harm. He wanted to tell her Ganondorf will rue the day he captured her. He wanted to hold her close and...

Rinku cut off the thought. What was he thinking? Had the smoke from the fire made him insane? Did he really love Sheik?

He rolled onto his side and closed his eyes. Within moments, he was asleep.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"You call that proper?" Zelda demanded as Ganondorf and one of his Gerudo women entered her cell. She didn't know what the time of day was, or how long it had been since she was thrown into this cell. And now, the jerk Ganondorf had the nerve to present her with the skimpy top that he deemed "appropriate."

"My dear Princess," Ganondorf said, "you're among the Gerudo. The only decent outfits we have are Gerudo ones. You get what you get." He smirked.

Zelda glared, pressing her blanket closer. The woman stood silently behind her master, her gaze on the ground.

"Yes, but I didn't want to get thrown in a cell and be looked at by a pervert like you!"

"No need to shout. Will you accept the clothes or are you going to continue as you are?"

Zelda sighed. "Fine. But get out of the room so I can change in peace!" Ganondorf chuckled, but left the room anyway. The Gerudo woman looked up for the first time as her master shut the door.

"I'm sorry for this, my lady," she said, her voice tinged with a desert accent. "He seems to enjoy getting you flustered."

Zelda glanced at the Gerudo as the woman walked close, kneeling next to her. But the woman didn't make a move, instead, setting down the clothes and what looked like bandages. "And you care because...?" the Princess asked.

"I dislike him. He's got a cruel sense of humor at the best of times." The woman sighed, glancing at the door. Her voice was low as she spoke. "My name is Kim. I am a servant of Sage Nabooru, a spy for her in Ganondorf's army."

"I don't believe you," Zelda stated.

"You must trust me on this. We don't have much time and I must tell you something."

Zelda sighed. Fine, then. If the Gerudo was being so persistent, she would try the code. "The leaves of the trees are blue."

"But the fruit is perfect," Kim replied immediately.

"So you are one of us."

"Indeed. Now listen while I help you." Kim assisted Zelda into the strappy short top most Gerudo women wore before changing her bandage, all the while speaking in a soft voice. "I have been given the task by Ganondorf to take a message to the Fortress. I'll stop by Lon Lon and tell them where you are."

"What if he finds out?"

"It's a risk I'll take. Nothing is more important than making sure you are safe and the Hero is safe." Kim finished with the bandage, and let her hands drop. "I wish I could do more, but then I'd attract attention."

"I understand. Thank you."

Kim nodded and stood. She left the room, shutting the door behind her. Then Zelda remembered she wanted to ask Kim something.

"Hey, come back for a second!" she shouted. The door opened and Ganondorf stood there, looking annoyed. Kim stood behind him, her submissive posture back in place.

"What?" Ganondorf asked.

"How long have I been in here?" Zelda asked. There was a look on the Dark Lord's face. He was in a bad mood. Even Kim seemed frightened.

"Four days. You were asleep for two of them," the Dark Lord replied. Then he turned to Kim. "Don't you have something to do?" he demanded. Kim jumped at the tone of his voice.

"Yes, my lord."

"Well? Get to it!"

Kim scrambled away, but not before giving Zelda an encouraging look. Ganondorf turned to look at Zelda, his ember eyes like fire. Zelda got a feeling of dread when the villain smirked, shutting the cell door so that it was him and her alone. "Now, Princess Zelda, just how strong do you think your new pet hero is?"

* * *

><p>Epona gave a piercing neigh when she saw Rinku stepping up to corral fence for the first time in four days. The mare galloped over to him, happy to see him. She nudged him with her muzzle while he stroked her.<p>

He didn't hear Nabooru walking up behind him. "I've got news for you, Hero," she said. Rinku jumped, and swore, falling to the ground when he lost his balance. Nabooru stared at him, one eyebrow raised. "Sorry," she said as Rinku pushed himself to his feet, fighting a wave of dizziness while doing so.

"That's fine. What's the news?"

"I've gotten word from one of my spies in Ganondorf's group. She told me the Princess is at Ganon's Keep, along with the exact whereabouts of her location in the keep. But," she paused, holding up a hand to stop Rinku's words, "don't even think about going in there without a plan. It's a hellhole."

Rinku nodded. "Is she all right?" he asked.

"From what my spy told me, she's as good as she can be in a place like that."

Relief flooded Rinku. So she was alive. Zelda was alive! The mere knowledge of this made it seem like he was walking on air.

"Well that certainly cheered you up," Nabooru noted.

"Of course it did. When can we start planning?"

"Now if you like." She held up a roll of parchment. "We've even got the maps to help us."

And so another meeting was called. Nabooru spread out the maps on the table in the kitchen of Lon Lon's main house. Several places were marked. Nabooru pointed to one of them. "That's the Princess' cell," she said. "Three floors down from the entrance."

"Ganondorf's made it a lot more streamlined this time," Saria said. "Look, you don't have to fight through too many rooms to get to the third floor. His last keep, the one Link forced him to bring down, was a total mess." Darunia nodded in agreement.

"So we come in here," Rinku said, pointing to the entrance. "Then we make make our way to this staircase here." He moved his finger over to a staircase. "That leads us to the dungeons, where Sheik's held. We free her and back track and get the heck out of there. All while sneaking around."

"You may need a back-up plan, in case Ganondorf shows up," Rauru said. The Sage of Light wasn't very talkative at the best of times, and his deep, wise voice surprised Rinku.

"What do you have in mind?" Impa asked.

"Well, if Rinku and whoever accompanies him gets caught by Ganondorf, they'll need a quick way out so that no one get's hurt. I was thinking you could warp."

"Like when Sheik warped us to the Sacred Grove?" Rinku asked.

"Precisely. I would suggest warping to the Temple of Time. That way, you can get out of Castle Town and away to here or where ever you decide will be a safe haven until you are strong enough to take the tyrant on."

"Or I could just fight him then and there and have it over with."

"And get yourself killed," Navi added. Rinku glanced at her.

"Thanks for the encouragement," he said sarcastically.

"No offense, Rinku," Ruto said, "but you haven't exactly recovered fully from your fiery barn incident."

Rinku huffed. "Fine. Is there a song to warp to the Temple of Time?"

"Yes," Rauru replied. "But you need this." He held up the Ocarina of Time. "This is the only Ocarina that will allow you to warp anywhere." The Sage handed the Ocarina to Rinku. Immediately, the young Hero could feel the magic in it. It wasn't harsh or overwhelming. It was smooth, almost calming, yet powerful magic. It was the magic of music, which he had become familiar with when the Princess what teaching him how to control the magic he had. She had taught him several songs that had embodied the magic, but none of them had felt as powerful as the magic flowing from the Ocarina of Time.

"I shall teach you the song later this evening," Rauru said, breaking Rinku out of his thoughts. "For now, rest and relax and recover your strength. You're going to need it."

* * *

><p>It didn't seem possible. It couldn't have happened.<p>

But the triumphant smirk on Ganondorf's face proved it.

Zelda pressed herself against the wall, clearly in shock from the news. Her knees barely held up her weight.

"You didn't seem to have heard me, Princess," Ganondorf said. "Allow me to repeat myself. Your so-called Hero is dead. He was trapped in the fiery rubble of Lon Lon Ranch."

"Oh, I heard you," Zelda said, her voice shaking. "And I think you're lying. You'd be in a better mood if it was true."

"Better mood!" Ganondorf roared angrily. He shoved her roughly up against the wall, pressing her there, his face inches from hers, speaking in low and rough tone. "My plans have been set back years! The Triforce of Courage is now gone to another, and I will have to search for him!" He tossed Zelda to the ground, where she lay, shuddering with fear and grief. Ganondorf aimed a kick at her, and she cried out in pain when his boot made contact with her side. "And you say I should be in a better mood!"

Zelda didn't respond. Her silent sobs shook her shoulders. Ganondorf picked her up, shoving her roughly against the wall again. "You know what?" His voice was a deadly calm now, like a snake, coiled up to attack. "You better enjoy your last days with the Triforce of Wisdom and of life. Once I figure out how to take the Triforce by force, I will do so and kill you. Then you won't stand in my way. Ever again."

He cast her down to the floor once more and stormed out of the cell. Zelda sobbed and curled up in the corner, nursing her bruised side. It felt like she had a bruised rib, possibly broken. Ganondorf's boots were iron-tipped. She wouldn't be surprised if she did have a broken bone.

She sighed, her thoughts turning back to the deeper pain.

Rinku couldn't be dead! He just couldn't be! He would have survived a barn fire.

Wouldn't he?

Because if he didn't, Zelda wasn't sure if she could go through losing another Hero...another man she loved.

* * *

><p><em>Author's note: Ah, the consequenses of misinformation! Thanks to the following for the reviews: <strong>Llwynog the Bard <strong>(who gets a cookie for guessing the monster correcty), **TheLoneWolfe90**, and **Boomadi** (who also gets a cookie)! The monsters were bulblins from Twilight Princess. I chose them because they were the only monster that I could think of at the moment that had bows and arrows._

_Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading! Don't hesitate to review!_


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

"Alright, you be a good girl and come when I call."

Epona snorted, dropping her head to sniff at the sparse grass.

"Don't worry, I'll keep her safe and sound," Navi said from her place on Epona's head. Rinku grinned and admired Epona before turning to Impa. The Sheikah muttered something to her horse, and he trotted off, Epona at his side. "All set?" the sage asked.

"Yup. Let's get this over with."

The two walked into Castle Town, keeping to the shadows. Rinku saw monsters crawling through the streets. They looked like leathery, thin humans. They groaned as they moved creepily along. "What are they?" Rinku whispered, feeling a chill of fear run down his spine.

"ReDeads. I'll explain later."

Rinku nodded and followed the Sheikah along, until they reached a path. At one point, one of the ReDeads came so close, the young Hero was sure it would spot them and attack, but the monster continued to shuffle along.

"Why didn't it see us?" Rinku asked when they reached the path that led up to Ganon's Keep.

"I stopped it from seeing us. They were all blinded by shadow. Otherwise it would have paralyzed us and sucked the life out of us."

Rinku's eyes widened. "What kind of monster is Ganondorf to make a creature like that?"

"A horrible one."

Rinku gave a wry grin. "That was a rhetorical question."

Impa rolled her eyes. They came upon the Keep. Rinku stopped, staring at it. Impa studied it too. It was tall and built out of obsidian stone. Spires scratched the perpetually dark sky. The ground around the Keep was lifeless, as if Ganondorf had come out and burned every little bit of life to death.

"Well, at least it's not floating over a pit of lava this time," Impa stated as she stealthily moved toward the doors.

"It floated over lava last time?" Rinku asked with a slightly disbelieving tone in his voice as he followed her.

"Yes. It did."

After a moment, they reached the large doors that stood three times taller than Rinku. "Oh, this was a bad idea," he said, staring up at the doors. "There's no freaking way we're getting in unnoticed. No. Freaking. Way."

"It's not that bad," Impa said. "Besides, you're with me. We Sheikah know how to move unnoticed." Together they pulled one of the door open wide enough to get through. They slipped inside.

"Do you remember where to go?" Impa asked in barely a whisper. Rinku nodded and led the way down the corridor, keeping to the shadows. Stalfos patrolled the halls, blocking their way in further.

"Can't you blind them like you did with the ReDeads?" Rinku asked in a quiet voice.

This time, Impa shook her head and replied in the same soft voice. "Ganondorf's got some protective barriers up. I can't use my Sage powers in here."

_Great,_ Rinku thought sarcastically. He unsheathed the Master Sword as quietly as possible and took out two of the stalfos before they were noticed.

"Intruders! Warn Lord Ganondorf!" one of the skeleton warriors shouted, pointing with a bony finger at them. Rinku swore and dashed to where he knew the stairs to the dungeons were, Impa hot on his tail. The stalfos and a whole score of enemies were chasing after them, shouting. There would be no escaping Ganondorf now. But he soon saw the staircase coming up on their right, an ajar door hanging idly. "This way!" Rinku said, dashing into the stairwell. Impa followed him, slamming the large iron door shut, pressing themselves up against it. The stalfos banged on the door, but couldn't get it to open.

After a moment, the banging stopped, but neither Impa nor Rinku let go of the door. They heard the grainy voices of the monsters on the other side.

"Did someone go to fetch Lord Ganondorf?"

"Yes. They should be back shortly."

"Good. I think it's best if we leave them for him. They're after the Princess."

Impa motioned for Rinku to follow her. They dashed down three flights of stairs before coming to the dungeon level, bursting through another iron door and surprising a Gerudo guard. The red-headed woman jumped up, reaching for her scimitars, but Rinku stopped her, knocking her out. She fell with a slight cry, slumped on the dusty floor.

Rinku paused to catch his breath and to stop his head from spinning. After a moment, he started down the corridor, searching for Zelda's cell...

* * *

><p><em>Zelda looked up at the blue sky, dotted with white puffy clouds. She looked around at Hyrule Field, all alive and wonderfully green again.<em>

"_Beautiful."_

_The achingly familiar voice made her turn. "Link," she said softly. The Hero of Time smiled at her, but something stopped her from returning the smile. She paused. This couldn't be right. It must be a dream. Link was dead, wasn't he?_

_Well, if it was a dream, she might as well enjoy it. She smiled at Link. "It is beautiful, isn't it?" she asked, looking back out at the green field of Hyrule._

"_Yes, it is, but that's not what I was talking about." Zelda turned to face Link. He was grinning at her, his green hat blowing in a breeze she didn't feel. "I meant you."_

_The comment made Zelda blush as she and Link leaned closer to each other. Zelda closed her eyes, lost in the dream. She waited for the kiss._

_But it never came. She opened her eyes and found herself in Lon Lon Ranch, watching Rinku ride around the corral on Epona, laughing at the sheer thrill of the feeling of flying. He rode over to her and pulled her up in the saddle and nearly kissed her before he spoke._

"Wake up."

_The words seemed odd coming from Rinku. "I am awake," she replied._

"No, you're not, Sheik. Wake up."

_This time his voice was urgent. Something was wrong. Then she heard it. Ganondorf's laugh. He had figured out how to take her Triforce and he was coming to get her!_

Zelda's eyes snapped open and she sat up, only to cringe in pain at her injuries.

"Are you ok?"

Zelda gasped and looked around. She saw Rinku, kneeling next to her. She hugged him with an exclamation of "You're alive!"

"Of course I'm alive," Rinku said, stunned at the sudden hug. "Why wouldn't I be alive?"

Zelda let him go. "Ganondorf told me that you died in a barn fire."

"It take more than a fire to get rid of me." He stood and helped her up, noticing her look of pain as she stood. He helped her out of the cell and into the corridor, where Impa waited, dagger in hand. Zelda grinned at the sight of her friend, but Impa stopped her from saying more.

"Greetings later," the Sheikah stated. "Ganondorf's on his way."

Rinku nodded and reached for the Ocarina of Time. He played the song Rauru had taught him – the Prelude of Light – and he, Zelda, and Impa disappeared in a swirl of yellow light, but not before they heard the roaring yell of Ganondorf.

"We need to hurry," Impa said as they ran out of the temple. "He'll be after us." They ran as fast as they could past the ReDeads, which were still blinded by Impa's shadows, and out onto Hyrule Field. Rinku played Epona's Song and waited for the mare to come.

Zelda swore under her breath, pressing a hand to her side. Dark blood seeped between her fingers. "My wound opened back up," she said in a pain-filled voice. At that moment, Epona and Impa's horse came galloping over the crest of a hill, the mare in the lead with Navi hanging on for dear life. Both horses stopped next to their riders. Impa and Rinku helped Zelda onto Impa's mount, before they themselves got on their horses, Impa behind Zelda, and Rinku on Epona. The two horses broke into a gallop, and their riders steered them southwards.

"Where are we going?" Zelda asked over the pounding hooves.

"Home," Rinku replied. He glanced behind him for pursuers.

Home, Zelda knew, for Rinku was back in Dresdem. It was a safe place, hopefully. "And the rest of the sages?"

"They're waiting for us there," Impa replied. Zelda nodded and allowed herself to relax some.

For the rest of the night and half of the next day, they rode at a steady canter. A few times several wolfos ran up to them, attempting to bring them down, but Rinku shot them with his bow.

Finally, around midday, they arrived in the small town in the middle of market day. As they slowed the horses, children ran up to them, all shouting Rinku's name excitedly.

"Popular with the kids, aren't you," Zelda teased weakly. She had lost a lot of blood during the ride and could barely hold herself up in the saddle without Impa's help.

Rinku was about to reply when he heard another voice call his name. A woman pushed her way through the crowd of children.

"Mother!" Rinku jumped off his horse to embrace Emiko for a moment before letting her go. "Sheik's hurt badly."

Emiko nodded. "We can go back to the house." And with that she led the small group up the path toward her home. Once they entered the large, two-story house, Emiko sprang into action. She bustled around the kitchen for medical supplies and ordered Rinku to bed, saying that he looked like he was about to collapse. The young Hero didn't even protest. He smiled briefly at Zelda before disappearing up the stairs.

Emiko quickly cleaned bound Zelda's wound in a fresh bandage while listening to Zelda's hasty and rather vague explanation of how she got wounded. "You're lucky, my dear," Emiko said when the Princess had finished, "not to have gotten this wound infected, and escaped that beating without a broken bone."

Zelda sighed with relief when she heard this. Emiko helped her to her feet and toward the stairs.

"I will go find the others," Impa said. Zelda nodded. Impa left the house. Emiko helped Zelda up the stairs. As they passed a room whose door was slightly ajar, Zelda peered in and saw Rinku sound asleep, the Master Sword leaning against his bed. Navi was resting on his hand, which lay peacefully across his chest.

"He's a brave boy, my Rinku is," Emiko said as they walked further down the hall. "To be so young and yet to stand up to such evil as Ganondorf, to bear the Master Sword and the Triforce of Courage – that is no simple feat."

"He told you all that?" Zelda asked as they entered a bedroom. Zelda sat down on the edge of the bed, glad to be off her feet.

"No. I've always known his destiny since he was but a child. He may not have been a Hero then, but I knew it was going to happen eventually. I just didn't think he would be barely eighteen when it came time." Emiko looked grief-stricken.

"Rinku's great with his sword. And he managed to get in and out of Ganon's Keep safe and sound."

"Still I worry. The Hero of Time was great with the sword as well but he didn't make it out of a fight."

Zelda's caught her breath, the memory of Ganondorf's sword running Link right through pushing its way to the forefront of her mind. She looked away from Emiko, trying to hide her sorrow.

"I'm sorry," Emiko said after a moment. "It's not my place to gossip about the previous Hero."

"It's fine. Your worry for Rinku is understandable I worry for him, too."

Emiko gave a small smile. "I'll let your rest." Zelda nodded and Emiko left the room. The Princess of Hyrule laid down. And the second her head touched the pillow, she fell asleep.

* * *

><p><em>Author's note: I love this chapter. Don't you? It's so cute. Anyway, thanks to all of you who reviewed: <strong>Llwynog the Bard<strong> and **SailorZeldaTheLightAlchemist.**_

_I'm working hard on the next chapter and it's almost done, so it'll be up as soon as I finish! So I'll see you then!_


	8. Chapter 7

_Author's note: I don't know why I didn't post this earlier, but here we go! Thanks **Llwynog the Bard**, **SailorZeldatheLightAlchemist**, and **Moon Princess016 **for the lovely reviews! Enjoy!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seven<strong>

Rinku woke to the sound of birdsong, and light fell on his face. He sat up, rubbing his face wearily.

"Boy, you slept long." Navi was sitting on his knee.

"What time is it?" Rinku asked.

"Mid morning."

Rinku nodded and swung his feet out of bed, making Navi loft into the air. The fairy fluttered to the doorway. "Well? Are you gonna get up or what?"

"Somebody's impatient," Rinku said, standing and stretching. Navi huffed. Rinku laughed softly and the two left the room. He paused at the top of the stairs, hearing a noise coming from the guest bedroom just down the hall. "You go on ahead, Navi," Rinku told the fairy. Navi nodded and flew down the stairs. Rinku went to investigate.

The Hero found Zelda asleep, but she wasn't having a peaceful sleep. She seemed to be wracked with nightmares, tossing and turning so much that her hair had come undone from its braid. Rinku stepped forward to wake her, but paused when he heard her mumble a single name: Link.

So she was dreaming of the former Hero. It didn't matter. She seemed like she was having a nightmare and waking her up was the best thing he could do to help her. He stepped forward, ready to wake her, when she woke by herself, sitting up suddenly.

"Are you ok?" Rinku asked. Zelda looked up at him and sighed. He sat down on the bed, looking at her carefully. Zelda moved so that she was sitting next to him, her feet draped over the bed.

"I miss him, Rinku," she said. "I miss Link."

"I know." Rinku hugged her impulsively.

"Rinku-" Zelda said, surprised.

The young Hero let her go. "Sorry. I...I'm just glad you're safe. I was so worried about you."

Zelda smiled at him. She reached out and pulled him close, her lips meeting his quickly. "I was worried about you, too," the Princess said in a quiet voice, her face an inch from his. Rinku kissed her back passionately, his arms wrapping around her slender waist. Zelda put her hands behind his head, pulling his closer to herself. Neither of them spoke for a moment, so absorbed were they in the kissing. Then Zelda broke away.

"Someone's coming," she said. They moved apart to the normal distance between friends – just in time, too. Impa entered the room.

"Ah," the Shadow Sage said, please to see both of them awake. "I was just coming to wake you, Princess. But I see Rinku has already beat me to it." Rinku gave a smile. "Emiko has made a big breakfast, so come on down." And with those words, Impa left the room.

"Oh, we're in luck, Sheik," Rinku said, getting to his feet. "When Mother makes a big breakfast, she goes all out."

Zelda smiled and stood. "You can call me Zelda, by the way, when it's just us," she said, redoing her braid as she followed.

"Ok." Rinku glanced at her. "You look so pretty with your braid undone," he commented. Zelda raised an eyebrow at him.

"Just because we kissed doesn't mean you can flatter me."

"I wasn't trying to flatter. I was trying to compliment you."

Zelda smiled. "Well then, thank you. But I'm trying to keep up the Sheik image."

"Of course." Rinku grinned and led the way down the stairs.

* * *

><p>Ganondorf paced his throne room, to furious to even sit on the overly-decorated and overly-large throne where he usually passed judgment onto the rest of Hyrule. He couldn't stand it. How had that...that pipsqueak of a Hero managed to get in and out of his Keep with the Princess so fast, and trick him into thinking he was dead? The boy was barely trained as a Hero and yet he did better than the Hero of Time!<p>

The thought made Ganondorf furious. He would probably stab the next person to bother him. He gripped the handle of his sword tightly, glaring at the wall as he paced.

He couldn't take it any longer. His fury compelled him to do something about the boy. He had never been this furious ever.

No. That was a lie. He was even more furious once before. His anger fueled the beast inside. And it had been that beast that bested the Hero of Time. Perhaps if he unleashed the beast on this new Hero, then this would be a thing of history.

He stormed down the stairs from his throne room, sending monsters feeling from him for fear they would be a victim of his rage. He came upon a Gerudo scout, and immediately the woman dropped to the floor in a deep bow, her head pressed to the ground. Ganondorf stopped, glaring down at her.

"Have you found them yet?" he demanded loudly, disturbing a few keese from the ceiling. The bat-like creatures screeched and chirped as they flew off to a quieter area.

"N-n-no, my l-lord," the Gerudo woman replied with a shaking voice. "They're not at the ranch. Nor in any of the villages close to here."

"Then you're not done looking!" Ganondorf roared. "You haven't checked the southern towns!" Then he stopped. "Actually, I think I know where the Hero and his princess are. You will go to Dresdem and see if they are there. Now go!"

The Gerudo nodded and scurried from sight.

* * *

><p>Rinku sat on the fence that surrounded the large corral on his family's ranch, playing on the Ocarina of Time. The music swirled around him. Peace seemed to flood the goat pen from the tunes he played. Peace and relaxation. That is what he played for, and that what he hoped to get from his trials and works as the Hero.<p>

And it was what he had at this very moment as he played tunes he had made up over his years in life. Some tunes were simple, childish ones, others were more complex and newer. But they all brought the peace that Rinku craved, now not just for himself, but also for Hyrule.

It was a long while before he sensed a presence. He paused in his playing.

"Don't stop." The sweet voice filled the air. Rinku turned and saw Zelda walking up the path. Emiko had lent her a few proper dresses, and now she looked more like the Princess of Hyrule and less like a mysterious Sheikah in the lavender dress she wore.

"I guess my mother has let you out of her sight, then," Rinku teased. Emiko had wanted Zelda to rest so she could recover faster, barely letting the Princess out of the house.

"That's the thing about being Sheikah-trained," the Princess replied, a twinkle in her blue eyes. She walked up to the fence, leaning against it next to Rinku. "You know how to sneak about without being seen."

"You sneaked out?"

Zelda laughed. "No. I was only joking. She let me out on good behavior."

Rinku laughed at this. "You begged her, didn't you?"

Zelda nodded, a grin dancing on her lips. "She wanted to know why I was so desperate, but I couldn't tell her, not the real reason anyway. I told her I needed to get some fresh air. And she let me go on the condition that I would be back within the hour. Your mother is a strict one."

"Indeed." Rinku studied her for a moment, jumping down from the gate. She seemed pensive as she brushed a loose strand of her golden hair from her face. "What was your real reason, if I may ask."

"I..." Zelda paused to look up at him. "I wanted to be with you. If that's alright."

Rinku looked at her, pocketing the Ocarina, and took one of her hands and kissed it, bowing at the same time. He looked up at her eyes with a soft smile.

"Of course, my dear Zelda. Shall we take a stroll then?"

Zelda giggled. "We shall, my Hero." They entered the goat pen so Rinku could still keep an eye on the cloven-hooved animals and, hand in hand, they walked along. "So," Zelda said, are you feeling better?"

"Oh, yes," Rinku replied. "Bruised and battered but a lot better. And you?"

"My ribs still hurt, but yes, I am fine as well." They walked in silence once more, a silence that lasted several minutes until Rinku broke it.

"Impa gave me a stern promise this morning."

"Oh?"

"She said that, starting tomorrow, she was going to continue training me again. She briefly mentioned the others helping out, but mostly she's doing the training."

"I don't envy you. She is a tough teacher for sure."

Rinku sighed and glanced up at the sky as a low rumble of thunder echoed across the field. The clouds hung low and heavy. "A storm's coming," he said, pulling his Ocarina out. "The goats need to get in. They're really skittish when it comes to storms."

Zelda nodded. "What can I do to help?"

"Get the doors of the barn open. I'll herd them in."

Zelda nodded again and hurried off to the barn. Rinku played Epona's song on the Ocarina, and the mare, who had been grazing with the goats, cantered over to him. He jumped on her, riding her bareback. He pushed her into a canter as the sky opened and rain began to fall. Lightning forked the sky, making the goats skittish. Rinku began to herd them into the barn.

Once the goats were secure, Rinku put Epona away in her stall before hurrying with Zelda through the pelting rain back to the house. Both were soaked by the time they reached the house. Emiko looked up from the kitchen table, where she was mending Rinku's green tunic. Rinku's father, Otto, was at the head of the table, deep in a book. He looked up as well. "You got the goats in?" he asked as Emiko stood to get some towels.

"Yes, Father," Rinku replied. He accepted the towel his mother handed him and began to rub the water from his face and hair.

"Go up and get into dry clothes," Emiko said. "Before you catch a cold."

Rinku nodded and followed Zelda up the stairs.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**  
>Rinku's feet were swept out from under him, causing him to crash to the ground. He looked up. Impa stood over him, twirling the wooden practice sword in her hand. "What good is a sword when the hand that wields it has no courage?" the Sheikah asked as Rinku got back on his feet, picking up his own wooden sword.<p>

"The grass is slippery," Rinku muttered. Zelda had been right: training with Impa was hard. The Sage was merciless.

Impa laughed at his comment. "You don't want to admit that I caught you off guard."

Rinku grumbled, but otherwise said nothing as he rubbed his shoulder where he knew he would be getting a bruise. Though the swords they were using were wooden, they still stung when Impa hit him with hers.

Impa took a few steps back, raising her sword. "Again, Hero."

Rinku twirled his sword and looked for an opening in the Sheikah's defenses. He charged, feinted to the right, but swung his sword to the left. He felt his foot catch and once more ended up on the ground, his sword flying from his hands.

"Dead. Again," Impa announced. Rinku looked up at the sound of laughter. Zelda, fully disguised as Sheik, was perched in a tree above where Rinku and Impa were sparring.

"Oh, you think you can do a better job, Sheik?" Rinku asked as he got slowly to his feet. Zelda jumped down from the branch. She had a cloth covering her nose and mouth, but Rinku could tell she was smiling.

"Yes, I could," Zelda replied.

"I hate to break this to you, Zelda, but you aren't being trained right now," Impa said, crossing her arms.

"Then I challenge Rinku."

"I know I'm a popular guy," Rinku said teasingly, "but there's no need to fight over me."

Both Impa and Zelda began to laugh. "Fine, Princess, you may have one round. But…" Impa paused, a devious look in her red eyes. "Try not to go easy on him."

"Whose side are you on?" Rinku complained.

"Mine," Impa replied without missing a beat. She passed her wooden sword to Zelda and stepped back. For a moment, Rinku and Zelda circled each other, waiting.

Then Rinku charged. Zelda deftly jumped out of the way and swung with her own sword. Rinku blocked, and pushed her back.

Zelda jumped up onto the tree branch again as Rinku swung at her once more.

"Hey, that's cheating!" Rinku protested.

Zelda laughed and jumped down on the other side of Rinku, causing him to spin in order to block the strike she threw at him. Their swords met and it became a contest of strength: who would overpower the other first?

Both of them seemed to be straining, but it seemed Zelda was struggling more than Rinku. That is, until Zelda jumped backwards, flipping in midair. Rinku lost his balance and fell forward. His legs shot out and tripped Zelda to the ground, where their sword match turned into a quick scuffle. That ended quickly when Rinku pinned Zelda's arms to the ground. It took a moment for Rinku to realize what position they both were in. He moved off her and lay on the ground next to her, gaining a red tinge on his ears and across his cheeks. Both of them lay, breathing hard. Impa looked at them with a raised eyebrow.

"You two _both_ need training," she stated blandly.

"Aw, Impa," Zelda said, pushing herself up, while Rinku covered his face with his hands in an attempt to cover his blush.

"Come on, Rinku, back to proper training," Impa stated. Rinku got to his feet, smiling at Zelda's expression, or at least what he could see of it. "You won't be wrestling Ganondorf on the ground," Impa continued. "You'll be fighting for your life with the sword in your hand and whatever magic you can whip up. You need to get better."

She swung her sword at him suddenly, starting the next sparring round. Rinku blocked, and realized just how strong Impa was. He hadn't blocked any of Impa's swings yet and his arms went slightly numb at the contact. He backed off for a moment, and they circled each other, waiting.

Impa dashed forward, swinging her wooden sword. Rinku ducked and saw Impa's foot coming to trip him. He jumped, and swung at the same time toward the Sage's head. She blocked quickly, but smirked slightly. "Better," she said. "Perhaps that little fight with Zelda helped after all."

"I'd like to think I helped," Zelda said from the branch she had chosen as a seat. Rinku grinned at her.

"Well, shall we do one more spar before I let Nabooru take over?" Impa said, nodding a greeting to the Gerudo who walked up beside the tree Zelda was perched in.

Rinku knew the question wasn't a suggestion. Impa raised her wooden sword once more and attacked Rinku with all the speed of a highly-trained Sheikah. Rinku dodged more than he blocked or struck, and yet, after only a minute or so, he ended up on his back once more, Impa's sword pointed at his throat. "Lesson number one, Rinku," the Sheikah said, "The Dark Lord is merciless. If you hesitate for one second, take pause, or even try to consider stopping for breath, he will run you through before you can say 'Ocarina.' Mark my words, Hero. You can show as much mercy on the tyrant as you want to, but you'll be dead before you know it. Isn't that right, Nabooru?"

"Oh, yes," the Spirit Sage said. She was sitting on the grass, leaning against Zelda's tree.

"There. We're done for the day." Impa helped Rinku to his feet and, with her sword over her shoulder, walked off through the trees.

"Come sit with me," Nabooru said. Rinku did as he was told, sitting cross-legged opposite Nabooru. "So tell me, Hero, do you think you have what it takes to beat Ganondorf?"

"Not really," Rinku replied.

"Then let's hope Ganondorf doesn't try anything before you think you are. When the Hero feels and believes he is ready to take on the villain, he usually is ready, and can usually beat the villain."

"Link was ready, but he...he didn't..." Zelda said from above them.

Nabooru sighed, looking up. "Link was a special case, if I remember correctly, O Sage of Time."

Zelda's eyes grew wide. "Shoot, you're right!" Then a look of horror crossed what bit of her face was showing. "No! It was my fault he died then! And I thought I was helping him!" She covered her face with her hands and began swearing under her breath.

"Calm down, you thought you were doing right," Nabooru reprimanded. "None of us knew what was going to happen. Stop beating yourself up."

Rinku looked from Nabooru to Zelda and back. "What happened?"

"Would you like to explain, Zelda?" the Spirit Sage asked, looking up at Zelda once more.

Zelda shook her head, still hiding behind her hands.

Nabooru sighed. "Well, Rinku, she's going to have to tell you eventually. She was the one who did it after all."

"Did what?"

Nabooru ignored his question, and continued what she had been saying earlier. "Anyway, Ganondorf can be beat if you know the weaknesses in his fighting style. And I _know _his fighting style. He's rough, and will do anything – and I mean anything – to finish off his opponent. He's got no chivalry to lay down rules for his fighting, which means he'll be kicking and punching, even throwing in magic. But there are two things that stop him. First, in a serious head-to-head fight, with swords and all, if you get him to lock swords with you, like you did with Zelda when you two were sparring. If you overpower him, he'll lose momentum. That's when you strike. But it's a small window of opportunity, and it could be hard to overpower him, so just keep that in mind."

"Ok," Rinku said, nodding. "What's the other thing."

"He's got a nasty habit of shooting orbs of magic at his opponent. These orbs will hurt you, obviously, but they also will hurt him. You gotta bat them back with the Master Sword, and he'll bat it right back at you. But it you keep doing it, he'll lose focus and miss, and it'll hit him. That's when you go in for a strike."

Rinku nodded again. "Are there any moves that are really bad?"

"Ganon," Zelda answered.

"Ganon?"

Zelda nodded, jumping down from the tree branch and sitting next to Rinku. "A form of his corrupted by the Triforce of Power. He looks like a giant pig on it's back legs. Ten feet tall, and wielding two massive swords, he'll kill you so easily." Her voice broke and she looked away.

"It was a last resort against Link," Nabooru explained. "He had almost won, and they thought the fight was over. But it wasn't."

"Link was so terribly wounded from the first fight that it took no more that two hits before he couldn't go on, and Ganondorf got control." Zelda paused, gathering her breath. Again the memory went through her mind. The black sword going straight through the Hero. "I'll never forget it," she whispered shakily. "Ever."

Nabooru studied her for a moment before looking at Rinku. "There you have it. Just...keep up your training with Impa, practice your magic, and remember these tips. Hopefully it'll be enough..."

"How do you beat Ganon?"

Zelda replied promptly. "His head. That's his weakness. And his tail. He doesn't like pain, so slashing at his tail will get him off kilter for a moment."

Rinku nodded, his head reeling with details for the fight ahead of him.

* * *

><p>Two more weeks passed in this way. Impa would train Rinku in the mornings, and in the afternoon, Zelda would take over, teaching him magic. Sometimes, one of the other Sages would come and teach him something, but those lessons didn't take up as much time as Impa's or Zelda's did.<p>

One evening, as he tiredly went up the stairs, nursing his most recent bruise from training – a sword shaped mark on his arm – when he heard a sigh from Zelda's room. He stopped, thinking for a moment. Zelda had been quiet – almost despairingly so – during dinner and now it seemed like a perfect time to ask her why. He knocked on her half-open door. "Zelda?"

"Come in," the Princess replied.

Rinku pushed open the door. Zelda was sitting on the bed, looking out the window. "Hey," Rinku said softly.

Zelda looked at him, a soft smile on her face. "Hello."

"Are you alright? You were awfully quiet tonight."

Zelda shrugged. "Just thinking." She turned her gaze back to the window.

Rinku watched her. After a few moments, he spoke up. "What was Nabooru talking about the other day?" Zelda sighed again. A tear slipped down her cheek. "If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine," Rinku continued hastily.

"No...it's fine." Zelda paused, taking a deep breath. "I'll tell you." She turned to face him, motioning for him to join her on the bed. He sat at the foot of the bed, waiting.

"First, you should know that I am the Sage of Time. It comes with being the bearer of Wisdom."

Rinku nodded silently and Zelda continued.

"Part of what I can do is manipulate time itself. Three years ago, when Link fought Ganondorf, it hadn't been for the first time. The first time, Link defeated Ganondorf, and peace returned to the Kingdom of Hyrule. It should have been the end of our troubles, but, for some reason, I decided to send him back seven years, to reverse time seven years, back to when we were children.

"You see, Link had been placed in a magical sleep by the Master Sword for seven years because he was too young to be the foretold Hero of Time. He missed much of his life, asleep there in the Temple of Time. I was trying to do him a favor when I sent him back. I didn't know that it would all repeat again."

"All of what?" Rinku asked softly.

"The whole thing. His whole quest. Ganondorf attacked the castle and I fled, but it was different. He didn't go to the Master Sword until he was old enough, and then his quest had to be started all over! He told me that he knew what to do, how to defeat the foes he faced, and it was quicker this time around." Tears were streaming down Zelda's face freely now as she told the story. "And in the end, after Ganondorf captured me, Link came to save me, but he was..."

Zelda dissolved into tears and sobs, unable to continue for several minutes. Finally, she spoke once more. "And it w-was all my f-fault!"

"No, it wasn't," Rinku said.

Zelda nodded defiantly. "It was. I sent him back in time. I made the same mistake of meeting him not as Sheik but as myself, and Ganondorf captured me!" The Princess continued to sob.

"You couldn't have known what would have happened."

"It doesn't help to think about that. It hurts more than helps, because as the bearer of Wisdom, I should have known what would happen."

"Perhaps," Rinku said, deep in thought. "Perhaps it was supposed to happen like this. I mean, if things had remained peaceful, we wouldn't have met."

Zelda nodded. "I guess there's that." She sighed and stared out the window once more. Rinku stood, but looked down at Zelda.

"Thank you," he said.

"For what?" Zelda asked, looking up at the young Hero.

"For telling me. And I promise you, I will make things right. I swear it." He bowed to her, one arm across his chest.

"Thank you, Rinku."

Rinku smiled. "Good night, Princess." He left the room, shutting the door behind him.

As he laid down on his bed, Navi fluttered down and landed on him. "So, how was training?" she asked. "Are you all bruised up again?"

"Yup." Rinku closed his eyes, feeling tired.

"Ugh, you're no fun anymore."

"Sorry to disappoint you, Navi."

The fairy huffed again before Rinku drifted off into sleep.

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><p>He wasn't sure how long he had slept, but he started awake at a loud crack of thunder. For a moment, he lay dazed on his bed, waiting for sleep to come back.<p>

But he would never get back to sleep that night.

A loud scream split the air.

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><p><em>Author's note: Sorry for the inactivity recently. I was getting ready for school and getting through the first week and, truthfully, I only just finished this chapter, which, as you saw, is nice and long (kinda).<em>

_Thanks to those who reviewed: **TheLoneWolfe90**, **SailorZeldatheLightAlchemist**, and **Moon Princess016** (whose review was very funny and almost spot on with what's going to happen.)_

_Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading and don't forget to leave me a review!_


	10. Chapter 9

_Author's note: I'm not very good at fighting scenes (at least __**I **__think I'm not. Others have different opinions about my writing when it comes to certain scenes), but here you go anyway! Thanks to __**Llwynog the Bard**__, __**Moon Princess016**__, and __**SailorZeldaTheLightAlchemist**__ for the reviews!_

_To answer __**SailorZeldaTheLightAlchemist**__'s question/review: I'm completely canceling out __**Majora's Mask**__ and all of that. For the single purpose of this story, __**Ocarina of Time**__ is not supposed to have a happy ending. Zelda sent Link back in time seven years, and he is back to his kid-self next to the Master Sword, like you see at the end of the game. Navi doesn't leave, because she senses something's wrong, so she and Link go out to the Castle Town to investigate and they find themselves in the midst of the attack of Ganondorf. They see Zelda and Impa hurrying to escape. Link and Navi join Impa and Zelda in the escape, but little do they know the door to the Sacred Realm is still open. And..._

_You know what, spontaneous decision: I'm making a one-shot of this. Hopefully soon._

_In the meantime, here's chapter nine. Enjoy and tell me what you think!_

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><p><strong>Chapter Nine<br>**Rinku bolted out of bed, grabbing the Master Sword. He ran to Zelda's room, but found it empty, the window wide open.

"Rinku?" Emiko walked up behind him, a worried look on her face. She gasped when she saw the empty room. Rinku gripped the Master Sword harder, and turned back to his room, where he pulled on his shirt of chain mail, as well as his green tunic, his leather bracers, and his boots. Navi watched him solemnly.

"Don't forget the Ocarina," she said, floating over to the flute. Rinku nodded and picked it up, slipping into the pouch hanging off his belt before strapping the Master Sword over his shoulder. He picked up his shield and hung it over the sheath.

"Let's go, Navi," the young Hero said. He and the fairy left the room.

"What are you going to do?" Otto asked. Rinku stopped to face his mother and his father.

"I'm going to put an end to this," Rinku replied.

Otto looked ready to stop him, but Emiko spoke first. "Be safe, Rinku," she said simply. Rinku nodded and hurried down the stairs and out the door, where he came face to face with Nabooru. The Spirit Sage seemed worried and desperate.

"You better come see this," she said breathlessly. She motioned in the general direction of Dresdem, and Rinku realized the town was on fire. Lightning split the sky, and thunder rolled through the air. "Ganondorf caused it," Nabooru continued. "He's there. He's got-"

"Zelda," Rinku finished. Nabooru nodded. Without another word, Rinku started off, Navi following him. Nabooru watched him go.

"Goddesses be with thee, Hero," the Sage said. With a flash of orange light, she was gone.

Thunder continued to rumble over the still-dry land when Rinku reached the village. People were running from burning buildings, herding each other to a safer place. Rinku pulled the Ocarina out and played a song Zelda had taught him called the Song of Storms. Rain poured down from the heavens, drenching the town and quenching the fires. Then the young Hero swapped the Ocarina for the Master Sword and the shield and marched forward thought the town.

In the middle of the marketplace, where the burnt stands smoldered in the rain, Ganondorf stood waiting, but he wasn't watching the direction Rinku was coming from. The hero had a moment to study his opponent before his eyes landed on Zelda. The Princess' eye were closed. She was trapped in a diamond-shaped cage, leaning against the side.

Then, as if reacting to Rinku's presence, she opened her eyes groggily, looking without seeing, before she noticed him. Their eyes met.

Ganondorf turned. "Ah, you came much faster than I thought you would," the villain stated. Rinku glared at him. "Do you like this little present here?" He spread his arms in gesture to the burning buildings surrounding them.

"What kind of sick monster are you?" Rinku demanded. "How many people will you kill to get to one man?"

"As many as needed," Ganondorf replied. He gestured with one hand and another building exploded into flames. People ran screaming from it. Rinku tightened his grip on the Master Sword. "But first, before we get to the fight you so dearly want," Ganondorf said nonchalantly, "I shall tell you a story, if you want numbers of the people I killed to get to this moment.

"I was a young man in the desert many years ago. A king of the Gerudo, the first male in a century. I was beginning to conquer the lands just outside the desert, starting my reign over the green lands of Hyrule. One day, after taking a town, I found an interesting document, a prophecy. This prophecy would later be known to predict the coming of the Hero of Time. But when I read it, I saw not one, but two Heroes prophesied. That's the thing about history: it tends to leave out the less important figure while the more important ones are given all the credit. The Hero of Time would be awaited, while his successor, the Hero of the Ocarina, would be left in the shadows.

"The prophecy stated that both these Heroes would defeat the King of Evil. I had already been given that name by many who I conquered, so I knew I was involved. I needed to put an end to the prophecy to ensure my survival

"I wasn't sure _how_ I knew, but I knew when the Hero of Time was born. I found him and his family, and, in the middle of the night, I set fire to their house. The Hero's mother, though burned and grieving, fled to the Lost Woods with her son, and I followed her. I knew she died, but I didn't know what happened to her son. I figured he was dead as well. Once you enter the Lost Woods, you don't come out.

"Two years later, the second Hero was born, and, likewise, I hunted him and his family down. I killed his father two days before I found his house and set fire to it. The mother perished, but the son was saved. I knew not what happened to him, but I knew I was going to see him eventually.

"When the Hero of Time appeared and confronted me, I killed him. So much for _that_ part of the prophecy. And now, here you stand, Hero of the Ocarina, ready to fulfill your part in this prophecy. If you can."

"I don't care about some crappy prophecy!" Rinku shouted. "I'm only here to save Zelda and get rid of you. You've caused too much trouble for ten years now, and it's about time this ends."

"Fine then," Ganondorf said. "Be that way." He lifted his hand up and an orb of sparking black magic formed over his hand. He shouted and released the magic at Rinku, who barely had anytime before he could raise his shield. The magic struck it, but it still hurt him. He could feel the arching magic coursing through his body painfully, and he fell to his knees, gritting his teeth against the pain.

"That's it? That's all you've got?" Ganondorf's voice was smug as he called up another orb of magic. "Pathetic. You're worse than Link!"

Rinku heard him throw the orb of magic. Remembering Nabooru's advice he jumped up, preforming a spin attack and launching the orb back at Ganondorf. The villain, as if expecting this, batted it back. For a few moments, this continued, with a dangerous orb of magic flying between them.

Until, that is, Ganondorf made a slip up. The orb hit him head on and he staggered backward. Rinku, stunned, hesitated before dashing forward. Ganondorf recovered quickly and swatted the young Hero down to the ground before driving his sword downward as well.

Rinku rolled out of the way just in time and glanced at Zelda. She was trying to tell him something, but her voice couldn't get through the diamond she was trapped in. But he understood from her gestures. He dashed toward her, ready to free her with a quick slash to the barrier.

"Oh, no, you don't!"

Another orb of magic hit Rinku in the back and he was sent sprawling on the ground once more, the Master Sword nearly flying from his grasp. Rinku pushed himself to his hands and knees. Ganondorf picked him up by his shirt collar, hoisting him off the ground and cutting off his air supply. "I won't let you free her."

"Who say's I'll listen to you?" Rinku gasped, lunging with the Master Sword toward Ganondorf's head. The villain dropped him just in time, and the sacred blade whipped through empty air. Rinku fell on his back and attempted to get up but Ganondorf stepped on his shield, pulling Rinku's arm in the wrong way. Rinku gasped in pain, yet he somehow managed to pull his arm from the straps on the shield and jumped to his feet. His arm ached at the shoulder and elbow now, and he knew he wouldn't be able to use it. His only defense was his sword.

He and Ganondorf traded blow after blow, and Rinku slowly racked up a number of cuts and minor wounds. Red blood began to stain the ground beneath the two fighters. Then the two backed off for a moment, eying the other to see what other weaknesses could be picked out.

With a wordless shout, Ganondorf charged, his sword held high. Rinku waited for the right moment, and swung with the Master Sword. The two swords were locked at the hilt, and both began to push against the other. The Triforce of Courage began to glow on Rinku's hand, lending strength and healing to its bearer.

And slowly, Rinku began to overpower Ganondorf.

The villain, seeing what was happening, kicked at Rinku, sweeping his feet out from under him. It was a cheap, dirty trick. Rinku hit the ground hard, and rolled once more to avoid Ganondorf's sword, this time, toward Zelda's cage. He stabbed at the magical barrier and cracks began to form across the surface until the magical barrier shattered, and the Princess, now free, pulled Rinku to his feet.

"Thank you," she said quickly. Rinku nodded and took a few steps forward toward Ganondorf, raising his blade. The villain was glaring at him with teeth bared.

"You think you're all high and mighty now that you've freed the Princess," he sneered. "Well, it's not over yet."

"I know that," Rinku said. "I'm not stupid you know, unlike you."

Ganondorf, enraged, charged again. Rinku met his sword once more, pushing with all his weight against the villain. He overpowered him and, with deadly accuracy, lunged with the Master Sword, impaling the villain. Everything but the rain that still poured from the sky seemed to pause in the instants before Rinku broke free and ripped the sword from Ganondorf. The young Hero took several steps back, waiting to see what would happen. He could feel Zelda's hand on his shoulder as she, too, waited and watched. Time slowed.

One second. Lightning flashed overhead, throwing the scene into a sharp relief.

Two seconds. Rain mingled with the blood from Rinku's various wounds, making rivers of red flow across his tunic. The Hero himself was shaking from the pain and the exertion of the fight.

Three seconds. Thunder began to rumble across the sky like drums, shaking the earth and those who stood upon it.

Four seconds. The Sages, who had been watching far off to the side, took several hopeful steps forward. Was it done? Was the torment of these ten years finally over?

Five seconds. Ganondorf's knees buckled, but he staggered. The Triforce on his hand began to glow sharply. His ember eyes glared at Rinku in an unfathomable anger.

And then he laughed. His laugh chilled all to the bone. Zelda knew what was happening. She pulled Rinku back, gripping his shoulder tightly.

With an inhuman yell, Ganondorf rose into the air, black and gold light surrounding him. Then his form changed. No longer was he a Gerudo.

"Ganon..." Zelda whispered.


	11. Chapter 10

_Author's note: Yeah, I know, it's short. But y'know, I think it works out better that it's this short. Thanks to __**Moon Princess016**__ for the review! We've got at least one more chapter (maybe two) before the epilogue, which I really, really, really, really want to write. Oh, well. Enjoy and tell me what you think!_

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><p><strong>Chapter Ten<br>**The monster slammed to the ground and roared mightily at Rinku and Zelda. It was huge. Two large cloven feet supported the massive blue-green body. A red mane of hair was visible over two, glowing ember eyes. A large pig snout and two huge ram's horns framed the eyes as well. In human-like hands it held massive broadswords, each honed to a deadly point. A thick tail tipped with red fur whipped out from behind the monster as it roared once more.

"_That's _Ganon?" Rinku asked. For the first time, fear took the place where courage should have been. He never expected to fight something this huge. Even with all the training he had been through, he didn't think the monster before him would be ten times the height of any man.

"Yes. Please, Rinku, be careful."

"I will."

Zelda let go of his shoulder, hard though it was to do so. In her mind, she kept thinking of the worst that could happen, that Rinku would be killed. She pictured – though not voluntarily – again and again the villain's sword jutting through the Hero's back. Only this time, it wasn't Link's death she was seeing.

It was Rinku's. _Oh, goddesses!_ the Princess pleaded silently. _Let him live!_

As Rinku approached, the monster that was Ganon eyed him mercilessly. Rinku frantically thought through the different pieces of advice: slash his tail to stun him; go for the head when in reach; and stay out of the way of the swords.

It was the third rule that was broken first. With a roar, Ganon swiped at Rinku with one of its swords, catching the Hero off guard. Rinku went flying and landed hard on the ground with a sickening crack. Something had broke. He only hoped he could still be able to fight. As he staggered to his feet, his ribs screamed in pain. Swearing under his breath at his newly acquired injuries, he ducked under another sword swing, rolling under the monster to get at its tail. He silently thanked Impa for her hard training.

He slashed at the tail and Ganon staggered. But it recovered and roared once more at Rinku, swiping at him with its two swords. Rinku managed to dodge one but get hit by the other, and went flying once more. He landed hard on his uninjured side, yet he coughed up blood, paid wracking his whole body.

"Rinku, get up!" Zelda screamed. Rinku looked up and managed to struggle to his feet to escape the cloven hoof coming down to crush him.

Navi caught up with him as he tried to get his ragged breathing under control. "You can do it, Rinku," she said.

"I don't know if I can." The young Hero grimaced with pain as he watched Ganon take deliberately slow steps toward him. "Another swipe from those swords and that could be it for me."

"You made a promise."

"That I did." Gathering his strength and biting back pain, he ran forward, slicing at whatever he could with his sword, whether is was the legs of the monster or the tail.

Ganon roared in pain and dropped to one knee as Rinku laid another blow on the monster's tail. The Hero rushed toward Ganon's head, knowing it was the final place where he could drive his sword in and finish the fight once and for all.

Ganon saw it coming. The monster lashed out with one sword, hitting Rinku with the flat of the blade. The Hero, caught by surprise, went flying for a third time. He hit the wall of a smoldering building. For a moment, he staggered on his feet, the Master Sword falling to the ground with a dull thud. Then Rinku followed his weapon. He collapsed, unmoving.

Zelda stood frozen, unable to speak or to run to her Hero's side. The Sages, too, seemed struck by the sight. Ganon's form glowed, and once more was Ganondorf the Gerudo. The man's leg's were bleeding dark blood, and he was breathing harshly. His sword was in his hand, glittering darkly in the light of the smoldering fires. He took several limping steps toward the unconscious Hero.

Suddenly, Zelda knew what the villain was going to do, but she still was frozen with shock. As Ganondorf raised his sword – point downward – over Rinku, the Princess finally found her voice.

"_NO!_"

The hysteria in Zelda's voice surprised even herself. It was as if the world paused, Ganondorf's sword frozen in midair. But Zelda knew she hadn't done anything other than scream. Ganondorf lowered his sword.

"Please, don't kill him!" Zelda continued, sobbing hard as she spoke. "Please! Don't take another from me!"

"Another?" Ganondorf questioned, turning to her. Behind his back, Navi landed on Rinku. Her glow was so dim that Zelda could barely make out the tiny winged woman that was truly Navi. The fairy looked up at Zelda, and immediately the Princess knew Rinku was still alive. "What do you mean, another?"

"You killed Link! You took him from me! And now you plan on doing the same with Rinku!"

Ganondorf stormed forward. "Be silent, woman!" He commanded, grabbing her by the throat. "You're Heroes are worthless! They have both failed in what the prophecy laid out for them." He threw Zelda to the ground and turned to Rinku to finish the job.

"You're wrong," Zelda said, hoping to buy some time. She looked up from the rain-soaked ground.

"Excuse me?" Ganondorf said, his voice more deadly than ever before. He turned back to the Princess. "Did you just correct me?"

"Yes. I did. Link beat you once!" She noticed with a start that Rinku was getting to his feet, barely staggering as he picked up the Master Sword. Even Navi, perched on the Hero's shoulder, seemed surprised. But when Rinku looked into Zelda's eyes, she saw they were not the usual green, but a stark blue. Blue like...

"When? Before or after I pummeled him?"

"Hey, Ganondork!"

The voice was Rinku's.

Ganondorf turned around furiously and took a step back when he saw Rinku on his feet. Once more, Zelda was startled by the change in his eye color. Those blue eyes were Link's not Rinku's. And the Hero's voice. It sounded like Rinku's, but it also sounded like Link's. What was going on?

As Navi fluttered of Rinku's shoulder, the young Hero glanced at Zelda one more, a look crossing his face that answered the Princess' question.

Ganondorf, getting over his surprise, swung his sword at Rinku, but the Hero blocked expertly, as if he didn't have any injuries at all. "Y'see, Ganondork," Rinku said in that voice once more, "you don't mess with the Heroes, 'cause all you get is pain."

"I'll mess with whoever I want to!"

The two circled each other. Rinku had not a single limp in his stride, though Zelda could tell that he did have so many wounds all over his body. If he was in pain, he didn't show it. Ganondorf, on the other hand, had a profound limp, and that weakness didn't put him in favor of winning this fight.

"When are you ever going to learn?" Rinku asked mockingly. "You don't own the world, and you never will. We Heroes will always be there to stop you." He narrowed the still-blue eyes. "Always."

And with that word, he charged forward suddenly, and slashed with the Master Sword. His eyes turned back to the green his eyes normally were. Ganondorf blocked but his sword flew from his hands. With another slash, Rinku mortally wounded the villain.

Ganondorf was dying.

"Now!"

The Sages, who had been lurking on the edges, forbidden to intervene in the fight, bolted forward, ready to seal the villain away. Rinku stumbled backward, his limp profound, pain crossing his expression.

With a flash of light, a round disc appeared over Rauru's hands. As one, the six Sages began to chant something in old Hylian:

"_Kami no megami – Nayru, Din, Farore – kou no kono tochi kara kono aku o soushin suru. Kono sensou o owara seru, kono oukoku ni heiwa o motarasu."_

With his final breath in Hyrule, Ganondorf let out a wordless, throaty yell as he dissolved into black particles, flying toward the shining mirror Rauru held.

And then it was over. Rinku, leaning heavily on his sword, let out a sigh. Zelda hurried over to him, and he looked at her, his eyes once more blue. "Hey, Zel," he said in that strange voice once more. His eyes turned back to green and he collapsed.

Zelda knelt next to him, feeling for a pulse. She found one, thankfully, though it was weak.

"Was I imagining it...or did we just see Link in control of Rinku?" Saria asked tentatively. "Link's the only one who's ever called you Zel."

Zelda shook her head with confusion. She looked down at Rinku's unconscious face, praying that her Hero would open his eyes and tell her that everything would be alright.


	12. Chapter 11

_Author's note: So this is a rather short chapter, but it's very interesting. At least I think so. Thanks to **Llwynog the Bard**, **Moon Princess 016**, and **SailorZeldatheLightAlchemist** for the reviews. Enjoy!_

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><p><strong>Chapter Eleven<br>**For Rinku, the end of the fight had been strange. It was almost an out-of-body experience. One minute, he had been lying face down on the soaked ground, and the next his own conscious was pushed to the side like it was nothing. Another seemed to take control, to dismiss the pain, the broken bones, and the wounds. Rinku would have fought back to gain back control over his own body if it hadn't been for the kind, almost heroic presence that was in charge. He didn't know who it was, but he knew whoever it was was on his side.

As the Other made him stand and taunt Ganondorf, Rinku pulled together his strength, doing exactly what he felt the Other was telling him to do. From off to the side of his mind, he could see that Zelda, as well as the Sages and Navi, knew something was going on. He watched Ganondorf flounder for words and his composure.

Then the Other spoke up. _I'm going to give you back control in a few seconds. You need to make the final strike against Ganondorf. Can you do that, Rinku?_

_I can._

The Other seemed to nod, and focus back on taunting Ganondorf. Then he struck, wielding the Master Sword expertly, before sliding back and giving Rinku control mid-swing. Rinku managed to knock the sword from Ganondorf's hands, and he swung again, ending the tyrant.

Yet he still felt the Other there. As Rinku began to fall once more, the Other took over again, watching the Sages seal Ganondorf away. _Ah,_ he said. _They're using the Mirror this time._

_Mirror?_ Rinku asked.

_Ask Zel about it. _Then, he spoke to the stunned Princess with Rinku's voice before slipping away once more. Rinku couldn't hold himself up anymore. As darkness swarmed over his vision, he collapsed onto the ground.

After what seemed like ages, he felt it again. The Other was back. Though this time, not to control, but to talk. And Rinku left the shadows of his weary mind into what he thought was a dream scape of Hyrule Field. Everything was perfectly green, fresh and beautiful. Clouds scudded across a blue sky so perfect it almost seemed impossible. He saw the long grasses blowing in a breeze, but he couldn't feel the breeze. Where was he?

"You make a fine Hero, Rinku."

It was the Other's voice, behind him. Rinku turned and saw a man his height, blond hair falling messily into stark blue eyes. A green pointed hat capped his head, matching the green Kokiri tunic he wore.

"Were you the one who helped me?"

The man nodded, a smile on his face. "You know me, don't you?"

"You're Link."

"Yes. And no, you're not dead," he added, seeing the question form in Rinku's mind.

"Then what is this? How are you able to talk to me?"

"All Heroes' spirits are within the current Hero. Normally, we don't intervene. After all, it is a Hero's job to be a one-man army...sort of." Link sat down on the grass staring up at the sky. He glanced at Rinku, motioning for his successor to join him. Rinku did so.

"Why'd you help me?"

"It was time for this terror to end. Ganondorf caused enough trouble already, and I fear he may come back and cause more trouble. Who knows?"

"But you said he was sealed by a Mirror."

"Yes. The Mirror of Twilight. Don't know much about it though. Zel and Impa should know more about it."

For a few minutes, the two were quiet, gazing at the clouds. Then Rinku spoke up. "Did you ever meet one of the previous Heroes like this?"

"Once. Back when I was asleep for seven years." Link shook his head, a grin on his face. "That Hero of the Skyward Sword has got to be the nuttiest of us all. He told me how he would just jump off of cliffs with the assumption that his giant pet bird would catch him. It did catch him, of course, every time but you could never be too certain." Link looked at Rinku. "The only cliff jumping I did was into a nice deep river or pool."

Rinku laughed. "I haven't jumped off of anything."

"Not yet, you haven't."

Rinku shrugged and the two lapsed into silence once more.

"It's funny," Link began. "I left life with everything in shambles. Hyrule went down, Epona went crazy, Navi went crazier, and Zel...well you know. But then you come along and make everything right. You came and cleaned up the mess I left behind."

"It's the job of a Hero to help their country."

"True, but you had so much on you, yet you did it."

"With your help."

"Still. You did what I could not, and I am so absolutely grateful for that. You gave Epona a reason to be the mare I've known her to be since she was a foal. You gave Navi someone to help and guide. You gave Ganondork a run for his rupees. And most of all: you gave Zel a reason to smile again."

"You loved Zelda in life, didn't you? That why you call her Zel?"

"I did. We grew up together, the second time around. Despite all the horrors going on, we were falling so fast into love that we felt we could conquer anything. And, at the time, it was as if we were still seventeen, not children. I didn't care that she had basically started over everything. As long as I had her, and she had me, I was happy.

"And when I was dying, and I saw her sadness, I knew I was going to break her heart. I knew she was never going to forget me, but I knew she had to move on. It doesn't do one any good to dwell on the past.

"Recently, I've sensed through you that she's finally moving on. She's gotten past it, though she'll always be grieving. She and you have grown closer like we did way back when. She's found a new love."

"It doesn't seem like love. We've been drifting apart."

"You still love her." Rinku looked at Link. Sincerity was in the Hero of Time's eyes.

"I do." Rinku sighed. "I was fighting for her more than anything else tonight. She was my only goal: to get her safe and happy once more." He looked out over the field. "She blames herself for your death, you know. She said that if she hadn't reversed time, you would still be alive."

Link nodded, a sad pensive look on his face. "I don't want her to blame herself. It was my own fault. I got careless, thinking that I could beat Ganon a second time easily. And I was tired. I guess sleeping seven years was better for me in the long run, but I couldn't do that again. I had to forge ahead."

Link sighed, staring up at the sky again. "Could you tell her something for me? When you wake? That is, if she understands what was going on."

"Of course."

"Tell her that she doesn't have to blame herself, that I don't want her living the life I left behind. And tell her..." he paused. "Tell her that-"

"Hey, why wasn't I invited to the party?"

Both Rinku and Link turned and saw another Hero coming toward them across the field.

"Hey, Oni," Link greeted before turning to Rinku. "That's the Hero of the Skyward Sword. We all just call him Oni, since he's basically the first. Not sure why, since _oni_ is something like _demon_ in Ancient Hylian."

"Hey," Oni grinned as he sat down, "don't blame me if most of the Heroes are named Link after me. Oni fits me just fine."

"Should call you _Baka_ for all those times you idiotically jumped off a cliff into basically nothing."

"Whatever, man." Oni grinned even wider. "By the way, Rinku, sweet fighting out there. Saw the whole thing. You got some awesome skills."

"Thanks," Rinku said, glancing at Link. The Hero of Time shrugged and continued his cloud watching.

"But, man, facing Ganondorf, that dude's ridiculous."

"He's gone now, too," Link cut in. "For the moment."

"Yup. He's another Hero's problem now."

"Goddesses forbid the Hero's name is Link."

"You all just like to take after me."

"Oh, get your ego in check, Oni, you crazy person."

"I'm only _slightly _crazy cause I had to fight Ghirahim. Anyone who would have faced that dude would have been in the same boat as I am. Scared me almost silly the first time I encountered him, but I kept my cool and got past him."

Link and Oni continued to talk about their adventures, while Rinku listened with interest. It was absolutely fascinating, but at the same time, he felt himself growing tired. But why would he be tired in such a dreamy landscape?

"Looks like we should wrap this up," Link said suddenly. "I think you're waking."

"Waking?"

"Yourself in the real world, man," Oni explained. "Your spirit is here, and when your body wakes, your spirit has to go back. 'Tis the rules of the trade."

"Oh."

"Yup. Hey, you know your name is Ancient Hylian, right?"

"No, I never knew."

"Well it is. And you know what it means?"

Rinku shook his head.

"It means Link," Link said, grinning. "You're just another one of us crazy Links!"

Suddenly everything went black. Rinku could faintly hear his two Hero companions.

_It was nice meeting you officially, dude,_ Oni said.

_And remember to tell Zel my message,_ Link added.

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><p><em>Author's note: Look! Skyward Sword and Twilight Princess references! Don't ask my why I made the Link from Skyward Sword have the nickname of "Oni". I just pictured it in my mind and what I saw I wrote...<em>

_So, tell me what you think!_


	13. Chapter 12

_Author's note: So, here we have a rather short chapter. It is the second to last chapter of this story (crysobcry). Thank you to **Moon Princess016** for the review._

_Special announcement! For those of you interested, I have posted a prequel to this story, involving Link's story the second time through between what you see in **Ocarina of Time **and this fanfiction. Please, go read it!_

_Enjoy this chapter and tell me what you think!_

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><p><strong>Chapter Twelve<br>**Rinku slowly became aware of his surroundings. He could feel every throb of pain of his wounds from the battle. And, he could hear the voices of his mother and Zelda out in the hallway outside his room. Zelda was quietly recounting the battle, and Emiko made small comments about what she heard.

Rinku wasn't sure how long that conversation lasted or if he had faded into unconsciousness once more, but he soon realized that Zelda was sitting by his bedside, holding one of his hands. He felt more awake at this moment than at any other time, yet he could barely move, if at all. "Oh, Rinku," Zelda sighed with a wavering voice. She was crying. "I wish you would wake up."

Rinku wanted to tell that he was awake, but his body wouldn't respond. So instead, he listened to Zelda's voice.

"I've been so worried, so... lonely with out you. And I wish I could have told you how I really felt about you before you had to fight Ganondorf." She sobbed softly. "That day we kissed, after you rescued me, I thought it was just an attempt to feel better after being so depressed by the loss of Link. We didn't do much else like that afterward, and that's what made me think that. I thought I still loved Link, and would never love another. I believed I would always live in the life he left behind. But...

"I love you. Not just for the hope you gave me in such a hopeless world, not just because you remind me of Link, but because you are you, and I wouldn't want you changed in any way at all. And I wish you would wake up so I could tell you as much and more." She stopped talking. He could feel her hand striking his hair lovingly. Wishing he could respond, Rinku tried futilely to wake himself up. He couldn't. He still needed rest and healing. But then he felt her soft lips against his own.

The effect was instant, like jumping into an icy pond. He was so surprised that it shook him from his drowsiness. With and effort, he managed to lift his arm from the bed and placed his hand behind her head, pulling her into the kiss. Then he opened his eyes.

Zelda looked pleasantly surprised as she moved back some. "You're awake!" she said softly.

Rinku gave her a smile.

"Did...Did you hear...?"

"Every word." Zelda sat back, blushing as Rinku pushed himself into a sitting position. He grimaced slightly from his wounds. "You know how I feel about you," the Hero said.

"Yes. Otherwise I wouldn't have kissed you just now."

Rinku chuckled.

"Rinku," Zelda began after a moment of silence. "Was Link...controlling you during the battle?"

"Yes. He was. And then we talked for a little while."

"How is that possible?"

Rinku sighed. "I don't really understand it myself." But he told her of what had happened when he had been unconscious.

"That's amazing," Zelda said. "I just wish I could have seen him again as well.." She sighed sadly.

"He doesn't want you to dwell on the past," Rinku told her. "He wants you to know that your not to blame. He wants you to move on, and not dwell on the past."

"He said that?"

"More or less, yes." He pulled her close, mindful of his injuries. "I love it when you smile, and he does, too. We both want you to keep your smile there."

Zelda nodded, leaning her head carefully on Rinku's shoulder. He kissed the top of her head fondly, enjoying just being with her.

"You know what this means, don't you?" Zelda said. "Hyrule's peace is finally restored."

"And you get to move back into a fancy castle, O Princess," Rinku teasingly added.

"True, sadly." She sighed. "I love the countryside. Back in Castle Town it's all stone and no grass. Except for the castle grounds. There was a small field separating the town and castle. And I had my own little courtyard almost smack in the middle of the castle. It's a wonder Link actually sneaked into it unseen."

"He did?"

"Yes. When we first met." Zelda sighed again, a slight smile on her face.

In the silence that followed, Rinku took an inventory of all his injuries. His shield arm, he realized, had been dislocated during the fight, and it was still sore, though no longer dislocated. He knew at least two of his ribs were broken. His neck and face were bruised, and his whole body, minus the places where he had chain mail, was covered in minor cuts and a few magic burns.

"You all right?" Zelda asked.

"Not really," Rinku replied with a slight grimace. "I hurt all over."

"I bet. You took quite a beating."

"And I did it all for you." He paused, a thoughtful smile on his face. "And for Hyrule, too, but that's not what I thought of during the fight."

"Aw, you're so sweet."

"Why thank you!"

Zelda giggled, making Rinku laugh. It wasn't long before Rinku's laugh turned to coughing as his broken ribs protested. Zelda's smile faded, and soon her expression became worried when Rinku continued to cough. The Hero covered his mouth with his hands. She stood and grabbed a towel, pressing it over his hands. He nodded his thanks as he took the towel, but Zelda could see that his hands were red from blood. After several moments, his coughing died down. But the amount of blood on the towel scared Zelda.

"Better now?" she asked softly.

"Not really. I'm breathing better, but it was not good for my ribs at all." He gave a painful sigh.

"You should rest. That probably took a lot out of you."

"Will you stay by my side?"

Zelda leaned over him and kissed the top of his head. "Of course I will."

Rinku grinned. "I love you, Zelda, you know that?"

"I do." She sat down in the chair by the bedside. "Go on. Start resting."

Rinku grinned. "Yes, your majesty," he teased.

"Very funny, Mr. Hero, but you do realized you are actually speaking to royalty."

"I know," Rinku said, a tired grin on his face. He carefully laid back, closing his eyes, and within minutes he was asleep.

* * *

><p>Weeks passed. Slowly, Rinku was gaining back his health and strength, his wounds healing. One evening, about a month after the battle, Rinku finally was allowed out of the house. He stepped outside and saw Zelda leaning against a tree, playing with the end of her braid. Rinku walked up to her. "Hey, Zelda," he said.<p>

Zelda turned. "Oh, look who's allowed outside!" she teased.

"Finally, right?"

Zelda laughed. But then her smile faded and she sighed.

"What's wrong, Zelda?"

Zelda looked away from him. "One of the knights from before it all heard that I was here. He came to see me this morning."

"Oh, that's where you were."

Zelda nodded and continued. "He and a handful of knights are the only ones left from the former army my father once had under his command. They live in Kakariko. He was wondering when I would begin to rebuild the kingdom now that Ganondorf is defeated. And I told him I was waiting for the Hero to recover, and he thought I was talking about Link. So I had to explain to him who I meant and the whole story." She sighed again. "He wanted a promise from me of when I was going to start rebuilding the kingdom. I had to say something. So I told him I would begin my duties as Princess next week." Zelda turned to him. "I wish I could stay with you here for the rest of my life, Rinku, I really do."

"But duty calls."

Zelda studied him for a moment. "Oh, please don't be mad at me."

Rinku too her into his arms, holding her close. "Zelda, I am not mad at you. I'm just sad. I wish you could stay here, too."

For a moment, they held the embrace, before Rinku let go.

"Something else is bothering you," Zelda said. "Other than my leaving."

Rinku nodded. "Let's walk, and I'll tell you." Side by side, the Hero and his Princess, began to walk. "Before we fought, Ganondorf told me how he hunted down both Link's family and mine to prevent us from getting rid of him. He specifically mentioned burning my house."

"And you believed him?"

"Frankly, yes. My earliest memory is of a flaming house, and I'm trying to get back to it, but Mother stops me. So this morning while you were talking with your knight, I talked to Mother about it, and she told me the whole story.

"It turns out, Ganondorf wasn't lying. My real father was a knight who had recently been posted in Kakariko before he was killed. His name was Martin."

"And your real mother?"

"Her name was Lydia. She and Mother were best friends. They grew up together. She was killed when Ganondorf set fire to my house. Mother managed to save me from the fire before the building collapsed, and she and Father raised me like one of their own." Rinku gave a sigh."It's not making me sad so much as making me think about what my life could have been if those events hadn't happened."

"It is a wonder indeed."

Rinku and Zelda waked in silence until the sun set below the horizon and nighttime was upon them.


	14. Epilogue

_Author's note: There's something really bittersweet about titling a chapter in your fanfiction as "epilogue" 'cause you know you're almost done with a story you've put time and effort into it and then there the happiness of seeing something complete and whole. I don't know what it is...but it just...just is._

_Anyway, this is the final chapter of Hero of the Ocarina. When I began it, I didn't think it would be this long, but i was wrong. heh. Thanks to **Moon Princess016 **and **SailorZeldatheLightAlchemist** for the reviews on the previous chapter. And thanks to everyone whoe been with this story from the beginning, middle, or end; all those who reviewed, favorited, or simply just read it. I hope you enjoyed it and will enjoy this final chapter._

_Oh, and I believe Moon Princess will like the ending very much!_

_EDIT: So as i was walking to class today, soon after I posted this, I thought about how I cut out Majora's Mask and all that. And then I was struck. Perhaps...PERHAPS I could do some sort of MM fanfic as a sequel to this lovely story. PERHAPS. IDK when, though...I am a busy student, but there is a possibility, no, a probablilty, that you will see a sequel._

_Maybe._

_EDIT 2.0: The sequel, Mask, is now posted. *Sarcastically* Original title, isn't it? Ah, well. Don't forget to check it out!_

_Enjoy! ~TwiliRupee_

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><p><strong>Epilogue<br>**"Your Highness, Dresdem is spotted." The gruff voice of one of Zelda's guards brought the Princess out of her thoughts.

"Thank you, Byron," Zelda replied, trying to keep the excitement out of her voice. She, Impa, and her guards had been riding to each of the towns in Hyrule to see how they were recovering a year after Ganondorf's regime was ended, but she had decided to save Dresdem for last. Progress was slow, but steady, especially in Castle Town. Ganon's Keep had fallen when the villain had been defeated, and so a new castle was being built in its place, one that would eventually stand tall and proud over Castle Town. The town itself, though it was not destroyed, was becoming a vibrant place to be once more as the buildings were rebuilt.

But all that was on Zelda's mind at the moment her guard told her they were nearing Dresdem was seeing Rinku. She hadn't seen the Hero since she departed from Dresdem a year ago, though they had kept up a constant correspondence. The only thing Zelda had not told him was of her visit. She had wanted to surprise him.

By the time they reached the small town, it was late in the afternoon. Impa sent Zelda a sideways glance. "Are you going to visit him tonight?"

"I want to," Zelda replied.

And so, ten minutes after settling into the Dresdem Inn, Impa and Zelda headed up the path leading to Rinku's house.

Emiko was out in the garden when they came in sight. The women looked up and smiled. "My dear, how good to see you again," she said, standing and walking over to the Princess and her companion. "And you as well, Impa."

"It's good to see you, too," Zelda replied.

"I trust you're here for Rinku," Emiko asked. Zelda nodded. "He's with Otto and the goats."

Zelda left Impa and Emiko talking and headed for the goat pen. There, she saw Otto and Rinku herding the animals into the stable for the night. Rinku was riding Epona while Otto worked on a bay horse. Zelda stood outside the pen, watching.

As Rinku turned Epona to round up more goats, he caught sight of Zelda leaning against the fence. He lost his concentration and Epona swerved suddenly, causing Rinku to lose his balance and fall.

"You alright, Rinku?" Otto called as the Hero got to his feet.

"Yeah," Rinku replied.

"Go on in. I'll take care of the rest."

"Are you sure?"

Otto nodded. Rinku thanked him and quickly fetched Epona. As he led her out of the gate, he grinned at Zelda. "I didn't know you were coming," he said as they walked toward the horse barn.

"It was a surprise. You weren't supposed to know."

"Well, your surprise made me fall into a pile of goat poo."

"Ew!" Zelda shied teasingly away from him.

"Aw, and I was expecting a hug," Rinku joked, holding his arms out.

"Not until you don't smell like goat dung anymore."

Rinku dropped his arms. "Dang. Can you believe this, Epona?" The mare turned her head to look at him. She whinnied softly as Rinku stroked her mane. "See? Epona doesn't mind me touching her even though I smell like a goat."

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Epona isn't a princess."

"Sure she is." Rinku led the mare into her stall and quickly took care of her before stepping out and leading the way back to the house. "I wanna show you something," he said. "Perhaps I can convince Mother to make up a picnic dinner."

"Sounds very nice," Zelda said, excited to spend time alone with her Hero. "Only if you clean up."

Rinku laughed. "Of course."

An hour later, Rinku led Zelda along a path going behind the house toward a small wood, laden with a small basket of food for their evening meal and a blanket to sit on.

"So, what's this something you want to show me?" Zelda asked.

"Ah. It's a surprise, my dear Princess."

Zelda sighed, but was patient. They entered the woods as the night came on. "Is it safe to go in here at night?"

"Please, my dear, you're with the Hero of the Ocarina. Of course we'll be safe."

Zelda giggled and linked her arm with his. After walking for a while in the peaceful forest, Zelda heard what sounded like small silver bells. As they rounded a bend of the path, they came upon a small pond with fairies congregating across the lily pads and through the fronds surrounding the water. Their laughter was what Zelda had thought were bells. It was a wild fairy spring. Upon seeing Rinku, the glowing fairies called out a greeting.

"I see you're popular with the fairy folk," Zelda commented.

"They only know me because Navi introduced them to me. She was the one who showed me this place before she went back to Kokiri so that, if I ever wanted to talk to her, I would just have to come here and ask one of these fairies to get her. But, do you like it?"

"It's beautiful," Zelda replied, turning to Rinku.

The Hero set down the food and blanket and held out his hands. "Shall we dance, then, to the music of the forest?"

"We shall." Zelda took his hands, and Rinku pulled her close. To the sound of the fairies laughing joyfully, the crickets chirping, and all other sounds of a forest at night, they began to dance. Zelda rested her head lovingly on Rinku's shoulder, recalling the lines of an Ancient Hylian song. Softly, she began to sing.

"_Kimi ga ita kara mirai eto tsuzuku michi aruki daseru kanarazu._" She paused, looking up into Rinku's green eyes.

"What does that mean?"

"'Because you were here, I can start walking on the path leading to the future.'"

"Ah. Glad I could help."

Zelda laughed. "I was being serious," she said.

Rinku tipped her face up so she was looking directly into his face. "So was I." He kissed her, ignoring the remarks and teasing laughter of the fairies as he did so.

"I missed you," Zelda said.

"I missed you, too. Every day without you has been almost too much to bear."

"I apologize for the suffering I caused you. Believe me, I went through it as well, longing to see you." She smiled softly. "If there was anything I could do to ease your suffering, I would do it."

Rinku stopped dancing. "Anything?" he asked.

"Anything."

"There is only one thing that could make me the happiest man in Hyrule: that you remain in my life until the day I die."

"Ah, the inner poet returns," Zelda said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Speak your wish and it shall be granted."

Rinku kissed her once more. "Marry me, Zelda. That is my wish."

"What kind of way to propose is that?"

Rinku laughed. "A goat-herder's way." He held her close, trailing kisses down her neck.

Zelda tried to remain calm, but the kisses and the proposal were preventing her from doing so. "A poetic way, nonetheless," she stated, holding back laughter.

"Indeed."

Zelda took a few steps back to get a good look at her Hero. Then she smiled. "Your wish is granted, my Hero. I accept."

And so, peace flourished in the great land of Hyrule. What had begun as a tragedy, ended with happiness and prosperity throughout the kingdom. Once more, Hyrule field was a lush and green paradise. The Gerudo, once enemies of the Hylians, became friends and allies to the Crown of Hyrule under the Sage Nabooru's leadership. The Sheikah, Gorons, and Zoras, who had become very reclusive in their respective homes, emerged with the peace. The Kokiri, deep in the forest, celebrated the new era, as did the Hylians throughout the kingdom. All remembered the name of the Hero of Time, and knew the bravery of the Hero of the Ocarina.

As for Rinku and Zelda?

They were, of course, married and crowned King and Queen of Hyrule, leading the country to its former glory once more. They were blessed with two children. The elder child – a daughter to whom they gave the name Zelda, as was the custom of naming for all girls born into the Royal Family of Hyrule. And the younger child – a son, and they named him Link, after the Heroes of Hyrule.

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: I do not own the song that Zelda sings, which is <em>Guidepost (Michishirube).<em> Shunichi Miyamoto owns it. Not me.**


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